Masuk Free Press

In just four months, Chappell Roan went from promoting her music in her bedroom to an international pop sensation, headlining the likes of Lollapalooza and Gov Ball. 

Due to her rapid ascent, people were under the impression that Chappell found overnight success, which could not be further from the case. Chappell Roan, really Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, has been putting out music since 2017. 

Chappell’s rise to success began with her stint as an opening act for Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts tour in 2023, and as her song HOT TO GO started trending on TikTok. Her status skyrocketed from fan favorite to pop star when her anticipated single “Good Luck Babe” was released in April of this year. It immediately charted into the top ten, and it felt as though you couldn’t scroll without hearing the tune. 

The rapid rise to fame would be jarring for anyone, but Roan appeared to be handling it well. It seemed as though she was headlining a new festival every week, donning experimental outfits and drag-inspired makeup. 

Performing for hundreds of thousands of people every week while standing in the spotlight is an immense amount of pressure and takes an impossible amount of energy. Roan was plunged straight into the deep end of fame, and without any time to dip her toes into the metaphorical pool, how long can one person last without cracking?

It seems as though after five months of madness, Chappell had had enough. On the eighteenth of August, Roan uploaded a video to TikTok which quickly amassed fifteen million views and opened up a whole new discussion about fame and boundaries. 

Chappell begins the video by asking the viewer to “answer some questions.” She then asks, “If you saw a random woman on the street… Would you harass her in public? If you saw a random lady on the street, would you ask her, ‘Can I get a photo with you?’ Would you be offended if she says no to your time because she has her own time? I’m a random [*****]. You’re a random [*****]. Just think about that for a second, okay?”

She doubles down in a second video, stating, “I don’t give a [****] if you think it’s selfish of me to say no for a photo, or for your time, or for a hug. That’s not normal, it’s weird.”

Roan was met with immediate backlash as people took her statement as a screw you towards the fans who got her to where she is. They lashed back, accusing Roan of having her cake and eating it too, and casting her aside as just another celebrity who couldn’t handle the heat.

While Chappell’s first statement felt a bit erratic, she closed out what she had to say in a concise Instagram post five days later. She stated: “I embrace the success of this project, the love I feel, and the gratitude I have. What I do not accept are creepy people, being touched, and being followed. I am scared and tired. And please- don’t call me Kayleigh.” 

When you step back from the chronically online reactions to her requests, you’ll find that it isn’t an entirely unrealistic ask. At the end of the day, Chappell IS just a random lady. Just because she found success within the music industry does not mean her safety should be put in jeopardy by creeps disguised as superfans. In finding success, she did not sign up to be harassed or stalked. 

While Chappell deserves room to breathe, some of the criticisms raised by fans are not entirely unjustified. When you choose a career where your success is determined by the people, and said people choose to support you, putting food on your table and money in your pocket, you don’t need to give them the moon, but a picture wouldn’t hurt. 

Having unrealistic expectations of fans who just want an innocent picture is no way to go about a career, especially at Roan’s level. When it comes to the forty-five million monthly Spotify listeners’ level of fame, it’s hard being casual. 

Fame is not black and white, and Chappell Roan was courageous in starting a conversation about boundaries. Mutual respect is important, and when she’s offstage, it seems that Chappell wants to be just another girl on the subway.