Chappell Roan Is Feeling ‘Very Emo’ Ahead of Grammys: ‘This Has Been Incredible and Scary’
There’s a lot going on right now. Donald Trump has taken office once again and immediately began setting fire to nearly every civil right he could think of. Los Angeles is recovering from tens of thousands of acres being burned to ash in unruly wildfires that claimed people and property. Opening any social media app feels like an act of pure masochism. Meanwhile, over in L.A., pop’s elite are preparing for the 2025 Grammy Awards. The show will be a moment of reprise for fans seeking comfort in the much lower stakes at hand; but this dichotomy isn’t lost on Chappell Roan, one of this year’s most-nominated artists.
In an Instagram post reflecting on the past year leading up to her Grammys debut, Roan wrote, “It’s Grammy week. I am very emo. My heart feels warm and fuzzy with all the support I have been given this past year. I hope you can understand that this has been incredible and scary and spiritual and confusing. I’ve been crying tears of joy and grief and feeling loved and lonely and free.”
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Her debut album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess arrived in September 2023, but it took a few months for the explosive cultural rise to follow. When it did, it looked like mind-boggling seas of people showing up to her festival sets in cowgirl attire, but also like complex conversations about politics being dissected across social media apps. Roan has welcomed it all for the sake of the art while also attempting to establish much-needed boundaries with fans and spectators alike.
“Ultimately, I am grateful for every one of you who gave my music a little spin and showed your ass up to shows and festivals. Because yall are rockstars I feel like a rockstars ?? Damn I am cheesy lowkey,” Roan continued. “I love the performance we’re preparing for you all. And girl no matter what, just know when I’m up on stage, all I’m really feeling in my heart is love to the queer community especially those in places where it is unsafe to be yourself. I see you.”
On Sunday, Roan will take the Grammy Awards stage for the first time. She’s a six-time nominee, with nods for Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best New Artist, Best Pop Solo Performance, and Best Pop Vocal Album.
For her last major awards show appearance, at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards, Roan set fire to a castle while singing “Good Luck Babe!” through the violence and flames swirling around her. On Sunday, she’ll do the same, in a more metaphorical way. It’s what she does. “I will do whatever it takes to protect people’s civil rights, especially the LGBTQ+ community,” she told Rolling Stone last year. “My ethics and values will always align with that.”
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