Not only is Chappell Roan not one to back down from a fight, but she also has an army behind her. The musician struck the tender nerves of some music industry executives when she used her Grammy Awards acceptance speech to urge labels to provide artists with livable wages and healthcare. When she challenged one in particular, Jeff Rabhan — who penned an op-ed for The Hollywood Reporter slamming her speech — to match her $25,000 donation to struggling artists, he suggested she direct her fans to donation funds instead. But Roan isn’t letting this deflection slide — and neither are her fellow musicians.
“Fans, y’all don’t have to donate a damn penny,” Roan wrote on Instagram on Sunday, Feb. 9. “This is one of many opportunities for the industry powers to show up for artists. There is much more work to be done.” The musician shared the receipt of her donation to Backline, a non-profit organization providing music industry professionals with access to mental health and wellness resources. Inspired by the stance she took at the Grammy Awards, musicians Charli XCX and Noah Kahan have both pledged to match Roan’s contribution.
“I’m inspired by you,” Kahan wrote on Instagram. “Happy to help get the ball rolling. Money where my mouth is!” Charli’s support was the next domino to fall. “Hey @chappellroan I am going to match your $25k to support artist’s access to healthcare,” she shared. “I saw @noahkahanmusic say that h would do the same and so I though I’d follow suit. You 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.”
In his response to Roan — which was also directed at Halsey, who backed the singer following the op-ed — Rabhan boasted about being able to “shake my network of friends and supporters of the mission and have 25 people lined up as advisors and mentors and mental health providers in no time.” Rather than further engaging with the executive directly, Roan announced her partnership with Backline, branded “We Got You” after the zinger of her speech: “Labels, we got you, but do you got us?”
“Chappell Roan’s monumental speech at the GRAMMYs last week was a game-changer, as she courageously advocated for better support for artists everywhere,” Backline wrote on Instagram. “Her words were a powerful reminder of the crucial need for health and well-being for artists in the industry and now, through this initiative, we’re turning advocacy into action. Join Chappell & others in the industry in making a difference – together, we’ve got you! Thank you Chappell Roan for standing up for artists everywhere!”
Attempting to turn Roan’s call to support artists — especially those who have been put through the wringer of the industry only to later spit out and discarded — into an ego competition reflects an intentional disregarding of the larger structural failings plaguing the music industry. Her anecdotes about struggling after being dropped from the label she signed to as a teenager weren’t born from distant observations but lived experiences that don’t evaporate with newfound success and status.
“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,” Roan shared on Instagram. “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.”