Chappell Roan, without a doubt, has had quite the year. From the inciting viral force behind that NPR Tiny Desk to her hyper-attended summer festival spots and turning down the White House's request for her to perform at Pride, the attention surrounding her 2023 album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess has been unceasing.
While the whirlwind continues, the rising main pop girl carved out some time to visit main TikTok girl Drew Afualo's podcast, The Comment Section, to talk about fame, drag queens and Joan Jett, and air out meandering thoughts about life in the spotlight, which she has been open about struggling to manage.
In addition to explaining how the trappings of fame have her missing the little things — like "doing drugs in public," going to Forever 21 and thrift stores, making out with strangers and "frolicking" — Roan said she is "scared" of her newfound status, despite it being "nice to be able to pay my rent."
Although she's been working in the industry for years, Roan has also recently had to bear the requisite "industry plant" accusations as a woman making contemporary pop music.
"What's so sick is that people are so stupid online, and they're like, 'Industry plant! Industry plant!'" Roan said. "And it's like, this is like [my] 10th year ... professionally; [I] was signed in high school. But like, 10th year after just years and years of pushing and pushing. I'm from Southern Missouri and moved to L.A. and it's just the most cliché story ever."
The singer continued on to explain that her career "skyrocketed" after years on the fringe because she began doing inner child work: "I started to have fun and like, be glitter, and not take it seriously."
She also warned other emerging artists to prepare to be without money for "seven to 10 years" and for people not taking them seriously, but reassured that "all you have to do is take one baby step a day" to one day become successful.
Listen to the podcast episode in full below.