Chappell Roan’s rise to fame has been meteoric — the pop star has quickly become one of the most popular musicians of the world in 2024. But the 26-year-old Missouri native says the ugly side of that fame might lead her to just as quickly recede from the public spotlight.
In a recent interview with British music and culture magazine The Face, Roan said fame feels “just abusive” at times and that she would seriously consider leaving the industry.
“I told myself, if this ever gets dangerous, I might quit,” Roan said in the interview. “It’s dangerous now, and I’m still going. But that part is not what I signed up for.”
Roan has been vocal about the attention her new fame has brought her both online and in-person.
“The vibe of this — stalking, talking s— online, [people who] won’t leave you alone, yelling at you in public — is the vibe of an abusive ex-husband,” Roan said in the interview. “I didn’t know it would feel this bad.”
In the interview, the ascendant pop star detailed an incident with two male fans she claimed were harassing her at an airport. Roan was also spotted exchanging obscenities with a photographer on the red carpet of the MTV Video Music Awards, where she won best new artist, last week.
A photographer yelled “shut the f— up,” and Roan replied “you shut the f— up.” After the incident, she cleared the air with an interview in which she detailed the anxiety that comes with being on the red carpet and said “you don’t get to yell at me like that.”
Last month, the “Good Luck, Babe!” singer took to social media accusing some fans of stalking, harassment and predatory behavior disguised as “superfan behavior.”
“Please stop touching me. Please stop being weird to my family and friends. Please stop assuming things about me,” Roan wrote in the post, which garnered support from a slew of famous musicians like Elton John, Lady Gaga, Mitski Hayley Williams.
Roan released her debut album “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Queen” in September of 2023 and was met with critical acclaim upon her meteoritic rise to pop fame. The album peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 in August. It also took the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s vinyl albums chart.
Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.
Christopher Burch can be reached at cburch@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter: @SwishBurch. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips/.