‘Good Luck, Babe!’: How Chappell Roan’s ‘Karaoke Song for the Ages’ Became the Soundtrack to a Generation of Situationships
Chappell Roan’s first public performance of “Good Luck, Babe!” took place on one of the world’s biggest stages for a musician, the Coachella festival. Donning a pink butterfly costume, the 26-year-old singer-songwriter from Missouri introduced herself, famously, as “your favorite artist’s favorite artist.” As Roan belted her way through the bridge, her glitter-covered wings flapped in the breeze.
That ascent to stardom was long and laborious. Writer-producer Dan Nigro had been working with the singer for years, releasing singles independently as the pair self-funded the early sessions for her debut full-length, “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess,” now a contender for album of the year at the Grammys.
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“Good Luck, Babe!,” a lilting synth-pop love song wrapped in self-denial, was released as a stand-alone single just one year after Nigro and Roan completed a demo with hit songwriter Justin Tranter.
“It was my first time working with [Nigro and Roan], and I was jumping at the opportunity,” says Tranter, who shares credits on songs like “Sorry” by Justin Bieber and “Believer” by Imagine Dragons. “I was a big fan of what Dan was doing with Olivia Rodrigo, and I heard he was committing to Chappell as her full-time collaborator. After hearing [Roan’s] ‘Pink Pony Club,’ I was in.”
The first song Roan, Tranter and Nigro completed together was the melodic “My Kink is Karma,” a standout track on “The Rise and Fall.” In those same sessions, the trio got to work on “Good Luck,” with the idea for the narrative stemming from Roan’s personal experience with a “situationship,” a label coined by Gen Z to define living in undefined and commitment-free relationship limbo.
“We’re both very queer, and it’s a common situation to have deep feelings for someone who also has deep feelings for you but is not ready to accept that,” says Tranter. “And I think what’s so beautiful about it is that everyone in the world can relate to that. It that happens to people in their early relationships, in their teens and 20s as well, but in the queer experience, it’s just heightened because of the world we live in.”
“Ultimately, I think it connected because it’s honest and truthful songwriting,” adds Tranter. “And the way Chappell is belting these incredibly raw lyrics makes it a karaoke song for the ages.”
Nigro and Roan tinkered with the song for over a year, but “it wasn’t until she found the right voice for it — and when Paul Cartwright came over to lay down 100 tracks of strings on top of it — that we finally decided it was ready,” adds Nigro.
Scout Easley, who signed Roan to Sony Music Publishing, says, “Chappell’s process is so thoughtful and intentional. She knows exactly what she wants to create, and she executes her vision so well, time and time again. It’s been incredible to see her creative vision come to life in such a big way.”
“I love how she’s always been focused on giving back to the communities that helped shape her,” she continues. “I saw her play in Nashville last year right after the state passed a new ban restricting drag performances, and she made a powerful statement and supported the local drag queens on stage who opened her show. It was a special moment that highlighted her commitment to the community, and the safe space she creates through her music.”
“Good Luck” reached No. 8 on Billboard’s Hot 100, and the album peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200.
“We all love pop songs, but there’s a reason why icons are icons,” Tranter concludes. “I think sometimes record labels are scared of greatness. How do you market someone who’s truly brilliant? I think she’s proof that if you let brilliance shine, people will follow.”
Songwriters: Dan Nigro, Justin Tranter
Producer: Dan Nigro
Label: Amusement / Island Records
Hitmakers:
Dan Nigro, co-writer/producer
Justin Tranter, co-writer
Ramisha Sattar, creative director
Natasha Kilibarda, VP marketing and creative strategy
Ryan Lee Clemens, photographer
Publishers: Warner-Tamerlane Publishing, Sony Music Publishing
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