Chappell Roan: ahead of her first UK tour date, why is the pop star under fire despite her newfound fame?

• Pop star Chappell Roan begins the first of her UK tour dates today (September 13 2024) at the O2 Ritz Manchester.
• But for many uninitiated with the pop star, her name is becoming more synonymous with her “problematic nature” when it comes to her newfound fame.
• Benjamin Jackson takes a look at what the current “gripes” people have with her.

Her meteoric rise to fame in the last year has been sensational, but for a number of casual music fans, the name Chappell Roan elicits the response of “oh, the troublemaker?”

Indeed, many news items as of late have focused on a litany of “controversies” surrounding her approach to her status as one of the world’s biggest pop stars. From “complaining” about the pitfalls she faces being in the public eye, to her omnipresent takes on how fans should react to her.

That’s led to a raft of complaints from some fans - albeit a vocal minority - who have felt that despite everything the “Good Luck, Babe!” singer has received since blowing up, she’s not grateful for her status she finds herself in within the music world.

But is half of that fair? Is it that perhaps Chappell Roan isn’t one to “game” the pop music system and is being true to herself? Is it perhaps that the sudden explosion of interest in her music and, by proxy, her personal life is all too much too soon? 

Or are those people right that she should be thankful of her popularity and mass interest in her career… and by proxy, her personal life? 

Ahead of this evening’s UK tour opener in Manchester, here’s a look at what the current “gripes” that Chappell Roan is dealing with.

Why are people complaining about Chappell Roan?

Her interactions with “fans”

Right from the outset, Roan’s explosion into the limelight has led to an increased interest in her music and of course, herself. With a fandom increasing with each time her songs are played on the radio or streamed before going out, so do the expectations of how she should “act” with her fans. 

But this was one of the first “cause celebres” regarding Roan, who took to Tik Tok in August 2024 to call out what she felt was the creepy nature fans now had with her. 

"Would you be offended if she says no to your time because she has her own time? Would you stalk her family? Would you follow her around? Would you try to dissect her life and bully her online?" she asks. 

"This is a lady you don't know, and she doesn't know you at all. Would you assume that she's a good person? Assume she's a bad person? Would you assume everything you read about her online is true?"

"I'm a random b----. You're a random b----. Just think about that for a second, OK?”

A number of social media users agreed with those sentiments, but there were also those who felt that because she was in the public eye and that fans had supported her “financially” by attending her shows and streaming her music, she was fair game to have fans come up and ask for autographs.

But in a more recent interview with Rolling Stone Magazine, Roan told the story of how she was kissed by one fan without her permission and how her father was being called up by fans, crossing what she felt was the line between her public persona and her private life. 

It was those two incidents that eventually led to her posting her now “infamous” Tik Tok comments.

Her “demeanour” being famous

Early this week, footage of Chappell Roan’s arrival on the MTV VMAs 2024 black carpet started to go viral, after the singer was spotted telling a cameraman to “shut the f**k up” after what appeared to be a back-and-forth between the two before the start of the video.

That has once again elicited responses from the vocal minority who again believe that being in such a “privileged” position being a pop superstar, the attitude of some people towards celebrities is one of the pitfalls of fame. 

But should it be that way? 

Again, taking to Tik Tok to further explain her thoughts on her newfound fame and the “boundaries” both the media and fans are habitually stepping over since reaching this level of stardom, Roan stated: “I chose this career path because I love music and art and honouring my inner child. I do not accept harassment of any kind because I chose this path, nor do I deserve it.” 

“When I’m on stage, when I’m performing, when I’m in drag, when I’m at a work event, when I’m doing press... I am at work. Any other circumstance, I am not in work mode. I am clocked out.”

“[I’ve wanted] to be an artist for a very long time. I’ve been in too many non consensual physical and social interactions and I just need to lay it out and remind you, women don’t owe you s***.”

Which, if we’re being honest, is an incredibly refreshing take on being a pop star; not bowing the knee to the media that so often expects celebrities to jump through the proverbial media savvy hoops. 

That Roan is also dealing with the effects of being bipolar also, there is an argument that perhaps she could learn to handle it better now she’s famous, but that’s not for us as fans nor the media to comment on. It goes back to Roan drawing those boundaries and almost treating music as office workers would regarding a work/life balance. 

Shouldn’t musicians have that same work/life balance rather than being constantly “on”? Potentially Roan has seen what happened to the likes of Britney Spears, constantly hounded by the press and gradually ground down to at one point being the punchline of late-night television hosts. 

Her interactions with “fans”Her “demeanour” being famousDo you agree with Chappell Roan that fans these days need to learn more boundaries before meeting their “heroes,” or do you think that the constant attention comes part-and-parcel with being a famous musician? Let us know your thoughts down below - or pick up a ticket to see Chappell Roan on her UK tour.