Chappell Roan, a rising singer known for her support of Palestine, recently hit the number one spot on the Artist 100 and Top Album Sales charts for the first time. The success follows her outspoken stance against Vice President and Democrat candidate for President Kamala Harris, and her decision to reject an invitation to perform at the White House Pride event earlier this year.
In a candid interview with The Guardian, Roan explained why she doesn’t feel pressured to endorse any political candidate, including Kamala Harris, in the upcoming U.S. presidential election. “There’s problems on both sides,” she said. “I have so many issues with our government in every way. There are so many things that I would want to change.”
Roan encouraged her fans to think critically about their votes. “Use your critical thinking skills, use your vote — vote small, vote for what’s going on in your city,” she advised.
Her decision to decline the White House Pride event invitation came during her performance at New York City’s Governors Ball music festival in June, where she told the crowd, “We want liberty, justice, and freedom for all. When you do that, that’s when I’ll come.”
In a more recent Rolling Stone interview, Roan elaborated on her reasoning for rejecting the invite, pointing to the U.S. government’s support for Israel in the ongoing Gaza conflict. She even considered using her potential performance at the White House to protest by reciting poems from Palestinian women but ultimately decided against it after discussions with her publicist.
“I was trying to do it as tastefully as I could because all I wanted to do was yell,” she explained. “I had to find something that’s tasteful and to the point, meaningful, and not make it about me and how I feel.”
Despite her firm stance on U.S. government policies, Roan clarified that her decision not to attend the White House event should not be seen as support for former President Donald Trump. “It’s not so black and white that you hate one and you like the other,” she said, addressing misunderstandings among some fans.
Roan added, “No matter how you say it, people are still going to be pissed for some reason. I’m not going to go to the White House because I am not going to be a monkey for Pride. And thank God I didn’t go because they just made a huge statement about trans kids a couple weeks ago.”
Her refusal to stay silent on controversial issues has not hindered her rise to the top of the charts. Roan’s success reflects a growing trend of artists using their platforms to speak up for social justice and political issues, making her not only a musical force but also a voice for change.
