Chappell Roan - Good Luck, Babe

I've been quite late getting into her music but currently LOVING My Kink is Karma, Pink Pony Club, After Midnight, Red Wine Supernova and Casual, probably more than the bigger hits. besides the early Gaga energy (but with vastly better production/vocals), I'm getting a bit of debut era Marina too. the melodies are fabulous across the board.
 
My biggest take on all of this (as a non fan) is that she seems to be preoccupied with disrupting the notion of how a young up and coming pop star is supposed to behave… and while the response to this started as a running joke we know how these things go.

The gen-z and the female thing aside, it’s quite sad that even in 2024 we haven’t moved on from the pantomime categorisation of celebrities. Humility is one thing, sure, but being expected to fit into a box and shut the fuck up when we all know how toxic, misogynistic and abusive the music industry can be. How dare she speak up! Etc…

The fact that she’s now trending as a pop supervillain just days after a couple of minor incidents is way more absurd than anything she has said or done. The internet just has no chill.
 
I was thinking the other day about how Gaga is a good comparison. The sudden rise to fame, the insatiable work ethic, the distinction between the personal and the stage personas, and wanting to keep those two planes completely separate, which is getting increasingly difficult for famouses

For Gaga in 2008 it was easier. People didn't tend to scream STEFANI at her on the street to get a reaction. But Chappell, in 2024, doesn't seem to be afforded the same respect, with people using her government name when she's explicitly told us she finds it disrespectful and creepy.
 
I think the main difference between the two is that Gaga definitely wanted to be a superstar and was poised for fame. It is literally the name of her first album!
 
Tisch said:
I was thinking the other day about how Gaga is a good comparison. The sudden rise to fame, the insatiable work ethic, the distinction between the personal and the stage personas, and wanting to keep those two planes completely separate, which is getting increasingly difficult for famouses

For Gaga in 2008 it was easier. People didn't tend to scream STEFANI at her on the street to get a reaction. But Chappell, in 2024, doesn't seem to be afforded the same respect, with people using her government name when she's explicitly told us she finds it disrespectful and creepy.
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Oh Gaga definitely had psycho fans who thought she was their best friend. The difference between her and Chappell is that she leaned into it and became MOTHER MONSTER, their lord and saviour (and then had a breakdown, stopped interacting with fans on social media and moved to LA where she could have boundaries).
 
Tetris-Rock said:
I think the main difference between the two is that Gaga definitely wanted to be a superstar and was poised for fame. It is literally the name of her first album!
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True, and agreed. This is part and parcel o the school of thought for those who moan about Chappell though isn't it. Don't chase the fame and then don't lean into it.

Not saying I personally agree, but that's what people are thinking.
 
I think what we can all agree on, is that she'll have an OSCAR in 16 years and the name "C. ROAN" will be on placards at press conferences everywhere. :disco:
 
Tisch said:
True, and agreed. This is part and parcel o the school of thought for those who moan about Chappell though isn't it. Don't chase the fame and then don't lean into it.
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I don’t think Chappell has chased fame, so to speak. Like any musician she wanted to be successful in her field - I don’t personally get the impression she ever wanted to be this famous or that she ever thought she would be. Until six months ago, I would have had her pegged as a mostly gay interest artist with Rina Sawayama levels of fame… and that if she ever hit the mainstream, it would be a one-off dalliance a la Kim Petras guesting on Unholy.
 
Ultimately, Good Luck Babe is the difference between Rina/Kim levels and what she is currently experiencing. It has shone a light on a great album that most of us completely missed when it first showed up and her message of proud defiance and background of struggle to be accepted has seriously resonanted, way beyond anyone's expectations.
 
I'm on the defensive because I saw her live last night. She really is a corking performer and seemed genuinely moved (and perhaps slightly overwhelmed) by the support from the crowd and UK fanbase. There was a moment where you could tell the emotions got to her a few lines into a song when she heard the response having been on and off about including it in the setlist.

Given how easily irritated I am in concert crowds, I also have basically nothing bad to say about the fanbase based on that experience - the vibes were universally pretty lovely!
 
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When does the Blood Records pressing of the album get sent out? 12000 vinyls would surely give the album a chance of hitting #1 again...? There's also a new instore colourway because the green one sold so fast, it's now on a nice coral colour, if that's yr bag.
 
Turns out the answer is...yesterday! Blossoms are very popular but could be an interesting week.
 
octophone said:
Isn't this what many of us were saying around the UK election?
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There is a difference in a multiparty system where you can credibly vote for a party other than the biggest two (and not without controversy as some were pointing out) and saying so in a two party system where one side's problems are orders of magnitude larger than the other.
 
I mean she’s right in that there are problems on both sides BUT Helen Keller would be able to decide which was the worst option especially for a queer person.
 
Dark Carnival said:
There’s problems on both sides = both sides are equal. Which they aren’t.
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Y'see, I've never seen that as equivalent but I accept that, in a two party system, it would be easy to reach that conclusion. You all know that I didn't vote Labour and you all know why. In a 2 party system, I might have BUT I still wouldn't have endorsed them.
 
octophone said:
Y'see, I've never seen that as equivalent but I accept that, in a two party system, it would be easy to reach that conclusion. You all know that I didn't vote Labour and you all know why. In a 2 party system, I might have BUT I still wouldn't have endorsed them.
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The distance between Labour and the Conservatives is much smaller than the distance between Democrats and Republicans.
 
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Not if you live in Gaza. Anyway, we're running way off topic.
 
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