Good Luck, Babe singer Chappell Roan, who identifies as a queer woman, has opened up about being indebted to the queer community, saying she is “here to give back all the energy that the queer community has given to me.”
The pop star, who is influenced by drag aesthetic, released her debut studio album, The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess, last September to critical acclaim, which has since gone to number one in the UK. In a four-star review, NME described it as “a display of Roan’s bold and brazen pen, where she places searing revelations alongside some deliciously cheeky choruses”.
Speaking about growing up in a strict Christian household and her eventual discovery of the LGBTQ+ community, the musician, who counts Kate Bush among her influences, told NME: “I was raised on Christian rock, but I never identified with it. I felt such a push and pull because I was so curious about pop music but couldn’t identify why I related to it. It was [talking about] a lifestyle I did not live. I was very sheltered and very prude.”
She explained: “I was told this city is demonic and Satanists live here. But when I got to West Hollywood, it opened my eyes [to the fact] that everything I was afraid of wasn’t always true – especially [what I’d been told] about the queer community. Going to gay clubs for the first time, it felt spiritual.”
Speaking of the commitment she has to the community, she continued: “The queer community is my main fanbase, so my responsibility is to pay it forward by donating a portion of ticket sales and sales in general [to LGBTQ+ charities] and show up at Pride events,” she explained. “Really, I’m here to give back all the energy that the queer community has given to me.”
