Chappell Roan won big at this year's Grammys, earning the highly coveted Best New Artist award. The drag-inspired pop diva took the stage at Crypto.com Arena with a notebook in hand to call out record labels for not providing up-and-coming artists with the support they need.
“I told myself if I ever won a Grammy…I would demand that labels and the industry profiting millions of dollars off of artists would offer a livable wage and health care, especially to developing artists,” she said on stage before adding, “It was so devastating to feel so committed to my art and feel so betrayed by the system and so dehumanized to not have health care.”
She concluded her speech with, “Labels, we got you but do you got us?”
On January 5, a few days after she used her platform to speak up, music exec Jeff Rabhan criticized her decision in a guest op-ed for The Hollywood Reporter, referring to her as “Chappell Groan.” In part, Rabhan wrote that Chappell was “far too green and too uninformed to be the agent of change she aspires to be today” and that her “call for record labels to pay artists a livable wage and provide health care was noble—but also wildly misinformed.”
He added that “she should do something about it—rather than just talk at it. Change is waiting to be championed, not just announced.”
Now the Midwest Princess has reentered the chat. On January 7, Chappell took to her Instagram Stories to reveal that she donated $25,000 toward the cause, writing, “Wanna match me $25k to donate to struggling dropped artists?...Let's talk.”
On a second slide, she added, “I love how in the article you said, 'Put your money where your mouth is.' Genius!!! Let’s link and build together and see if you can do the same.” Then, in a series of Stories, she proceeded to shout out some of her fave up-and-coming artists, such as Hemlocke Springs, Sarah Kinsley, Devon Again, and Baby Storme.
Chappell's not only giving other artists love—she's on the receiving end of it, too. Once Rabhan's piece gained traction online, it garnered a heated reaction from musician Halsey in defense of the “Pink Pony Club” hitmaker.
“I hope you’re embarrassed of the absolute personal attack that you’ve ran and disguised as critical journalism,” Halsey wrote on their Instagram Stories. “Jeff Rabhan’s ranting, seething tantrum is loaded with assumptions and accusations that generalize the experience of every artist to that of the most successful. Our industry is comprised of thousands of voices, the elite at the very top of the class are not the example of a monolithic experience for all artists.”
Noah Kahan also backed Chappell up and matched her donation. “I’m inspired by you. Happy to help get the ball rolling. Money where my mouth is!” he wrote on his Instagram Stories.
Fellow Grammy winner Charli XCX also chimed in, writing, “Hey @chappellroan I am going to match your $25k to support artist’s access to healthcare. I saw @noahkahanmusic say that he would do the same and so I though I’d follow suit. Your speech at the Grammys was inspiring and thoughtful and from a genuine place of care. Happy to help get the ball rolling too. Money where my mouth is.”
On February 12, Sabrina Carpenter—who has always been a Chappell stan, JFYI—quietly matched the $25,000 donation, per Backline's official website.
Their support comes after Rabhan caught wind of Chappell's social media callout and posted an open letter to her and Halsey on February 7. He allegedly told her to point her fan base toward donating, and she retaliated again two days later.
“Fans, y’all don’t have to donate a damn penny,” Chappell penned in a series of February 9 Instagram Stories. “This is one of many opportunities for the industry powers to show up for artists. There is much more work to be done.” She also revealed that she's working directly with Backline, a non-profit organization that provides mental health and wellness resources to musicians.
“Sharing my personal experience on the Grammy stage wasn’t meant to be a crowdfunded bandaid but a call to action to the leaders of the industry to step up, help us make real change and protect their investments in a sustainable way,” Chappell wrote before proving her donation with a screenshot. “My mind will not be changed about artists deserving more than what’s standard in the industry. Random dudes are allowed to criticize my Grammy speech, but they best put their money where their mouth is, otherwise MOVE out of the way.”
