Chappell Roan teases new song, Saskatchewan becomes surprise breakout star
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Interest in a lesser-known Canadian province has peaked after pop star Chappell Roan namedropped it in an eagerly anticipated song.
Pink Pony Club singer Roan appears to be teasing the release of a new song, The Subway, which she has performed at shows in the past, but never released a studio version of.
The song sees Roan pine over a break-up while on the New York City subway, and declare that if she's not over it in four months, she's "moving to Saskatchewan."
On July 24, a video posted by Instagram account @chappellroanfandemonion, an official page for the singer, included an audio clip of what sounds like a studio version of the song. The clip shows a moving truck with the license plate "THE SBWY," arriving at a sign welcoming them to Saskatchewan.
In recent days, posters of Roan have been spotted around New York City with the phrase "Going through a break up? Get bangs!" A pin in her hair also mentions August 1, leading fans to believe the track will drop in full on that date.
Saskatchewan is known for its vast prairies and boreal forests, and housing costs are lower than in most major cities in Canada, according to the Saskatchewan government website. Residents get free medical care, public school is free, and its many lakes and hills offer outdoor recreation opportunities year-round.
In a 2024 interview with Nardwuar, Roan teased that Saskatchewan was mentioned "in one of my new songs that hasn't come out yet, called The Subway," and confirmed she was looking at venues to try and get there for a show, as "I owe it to them."
"I can't sing a song about Saskatchewan and not go there," she said, adding that the Pacific Northwest is "where my heart lives, and I will move there one day to settle down."
Chappell Roan attends the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards on September 11, 2024, in Elmont, New York.
Chappell Roan attends the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards on September 11, 2024, in Elmont, New York.Interest in the province—home to 1.2 million people—has been on the rise since Roan began singing the song live, and conversation is rife now that she appears to be preparing to officially release the track. Google search for the province shot up from July 20, and is currently more than double than this time last year.
Comments under the video clip from @chappellroanfandemonium showcased this perfectly, as one wrote: "The Canadians thank Chappell for her service with releasing this song."
"A win for us from Saskatchewan for once," another said, as one declared: "Her first tour location better be in Regina, Sask, or I'm gonna riot, we all love her so much."
And another joked: "Wake up, new provincial anthem just dropped."
One TikTok user, Sarah, 29, posted a video to her account @shopdressr in February after moving to Saskatchewan, where she responded to a comment asking "why would anyone move to Saskatchewan?"
In a clip awarded more than 6,000 likes, she shared the fact it has a large landmass but with a relatively small number of people living there.
"Do you know how nice that is? We're talking 1.2 million people spread across this entire province," she said.
Relatively low property prices, stunning sunrises and sunsets, lower cost of living, and good job opportunities also made her list, as she told viewers: "If you're getting tired of Ontario living, this might be a good place to be."
@shopdressr
Replying to @IYA🇯🇲 but there's no @Harvey's here and I will continue to rage tag them in all of my videos until they open a Regina location. ♬ original sound - Smad
She told Newsweek she moved to Saskatchewan from Ontario in December 2024 when her husband was posted there with the airforce, and it has "been amazing so far," and she's "never seen a bigger, more beautiful sky."
"It's been a change of pace, but for the better! Slower pace of life, friendly and small communities. I see kids playing outside and enjoying childhood more than I ever did in Ontario."
"Being a military partner you need to grow where you're planted, and I'm happy to be planted in Saskatchewan for the time being."
As for the province getting more attention thanks to Roan's song, Sarah thinks it's a good thing: "I hope people come visit Saskatchewan because of the song, and think it will do wonders for the tourism sector here. She's got to play a show here on her next tour though, it's only fair!"
On the r/Saskatchewan subreddit on a post from earlier this year, a discussion started on songs unexpectedly mentioning the province, and Roan's track made an appearance.
One commenter wrote: "I was recently on the other side of the earth and someone mentioned they know Sask from that Chappell Roan song," adding they were "so proud."
In another post to r/popculturechat discussing the upcoming release of the song, one commenter admitted: "The idea of a mainstream song encouraging people to move to Saskatchewan is actually changing the chemistry of my brain."
Musician Rebecca Black of Friday viral fame even got involved, sharing a video of herself dancing to the newly-released audio clip, and revealing she was "reporting live from literally Saskatchewan."
Newsweek has contacted Chappell Roan's team via email for comment on this story.
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