Chappell Roan, known for the hit “Good Luck, Babe!,” is discussing her new self-described country song, “The Giver,” which is set to release on Thursday, March 13.
Roan recently appeared on Amazon Music’s Country Heat Weekly podcast with hosts Kelly Sutton and Amber Anderson. She discussed the creation of her new song and clarified her intentions.
“I’m trying to really articulate that it’s not me trying to cross genres and be like, ‘Hey, you know, look at me.’ I’m not trying to convince a country crowd that they should listen to my music by baiting them with a country song,” Roan said. “That’s not what I feel like I’m doing. I just think a lesbian country song is really funny, so I wrote that.”
Roan added, “I wrote a country song not to invade country music, but to really capture what I think, the essence of country music is, for me, which is nostalgia, and fun in the summertime, and the fiddle, and the banjo feeling like country queen. It makes me feel a certain type of freedom that pop music doesn’t let me feel. I think it’s interesting and I had to do it. I had to do it for myself to know what is it actually like to write a country song and perform it next to ‘Casual’ or next to ‘My Kink Is Karma’ or next to ‘Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl’ – I just had to do myself justice.”
The Missouri native mentioned her upcoming 2024 album, “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess,” saying, “Well, and I can’t call myself the Midwest princess and not acknowledge country music straight up. That is what is around me in the grocery stores. That’s what is playing on the bus … I know that my heart really wanted to write a country song.”
Roan has previously shared her thoughts on writing “The Giver,” noting that she grew up surrounded by country music. “I have such a special place in my heart for country music. I grew up listening to it every morning and afternoon on my school bus and had it swirling around me at bonfires, grocery stores, and karaoke bars,” she wrote in a March 4 Instagram post. “Many people have asked if this means I’m making a country album??? My answer is… hmm right now I’m just making songs that make me feel happy and fun and ‘The Giver’ is my take on country xoxo may the classic country divas lead their genre, I am just here to twirl and do a little gay yodel for y’all.”
In recent years, Roan has gained recognition in pop music with hits like the Billboard Hot 100 top five “Good Luck, Babe!” and top 10 “Pink Pony Club.” She also won a Grammy for best new artist earlier this year.