a day ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Chappell Roan reflects on backlash after Outside Lands debut: ‘It makes me cry'
It's been nearly a year since Chappell Roan scolded Outside Lands festivalgoers in the VIP section for thinking they're 'way too cool' to dance during her set at Golden Gate Park. Now the singer is sharing how the subsequent backlash took an emotional toll.
'I didn't realize I'd care so much,' Roan said in conversation with R&B singer SZA for Interview Magazine published Tuesday, June 17. 'When it comes to my art, I'm like, 'Bitch, you can think whatever you want. You are allowed to hate it with all your guts.' But when it comes to me and my personality, it's like, 'Damn. Am I the most insufferable bitch of our generation?''
The 'Pink Pony Club' singer experienced a meteoric rise to fame last summer following the release of her debut album, 'The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess.' It led to her highly-anticipated main stage Outside Lands festival debut, which attracted a reported 50,000 for her afternoon set.
But a clip of Roan calling out fans in the VIP section of Outside Lands for not joining in on the choreographed 'Hot To Go!' dance — a 'YMCA'-style routine she taught mid-set — went viral last August, fueling criticism of her personality. While she said she has been able to brush off musical critiques, she admitted that the more personal criticisms have been harder to cope with.
Roan — whose real name is Kayleigh Amstutz — quickly made headlines for being outspoken, whether snapping at disrespectful fans and photographers or standing up for LGBTQ+ rights.
She responded by sharing several social media videos airing her grievances with sudden fame, explaining that she felt 'unsafe' and wanted to 'set boundaries' with fans. But some interpreted her remarks as the singer being ungrateful.
'When it's not about my art anymore, it's like, 'They hate me because I'm Kayleigh, not because they hate the songs that I make,'' she told SZA. 'I give a f— and it makes me cry. I don't know if it will ever feel okay to hear someone say something really hateful about me.'
Though she spent some time out of the public eye after winning her first Grammy Award at the start of the year, Roan is working on her sophomore album and has returned to the festival circuit. During recent appearances, she has even reportedly performed her new country-tinged song, 'The Giver.'
Her next festival set is scheduled for Aug. 6 in Oslo, Norway at Øyafestivalen.
