‘I’m inspired by you’: Only Chappell Roan could turn hostility into admiration and a $25K donation

When Chappell Roan asked the labels at The Grammys, “We got you, but do you got us?,” the last thing anyone expected was for her to get slammed for making that statement. But as time has gone by, she has not only turned that lemon into lemonade by making her biggest critic walk back his comments ⏤ she also got her peers to put aside $25,000 for upcoming artists.

Roan rose from relative obscurity and used tools at her disposal like TikTok, Instagram, and most importantly her talent to make songs like the unforgettable “Good Luck, Babe!,” turning herself into one of the biggest names in pop music. It was a crowning moment when she walked up to the stage at the 67th Grammy Awards to rightfully pick up her award for Best New Artist.

She made her speech a rallying cry to record labels to treat their “smaller” artists better. Unexpectedly, Roan ruffled the feathers of a music industry insider named Jeff Rabhan, who took to The Hollywood Reporter to write an unfortunate guest column chastising Roan for making a performative speech. He then proceeded to sting her with a closing paragraph where he issued the following warning: “You’re liable to become just another artist no one cares about in the industry burning their 15 minutes of fame for an echo chamber of applause.”

This was infuriating to read, as anyone who has been following Roan would know that her speech was not out of character or performative in the slightest. This has always been who she is, and she has never just accepted the status quo to fit in. She’ll even call out a photographer if she feels disrespected. However, despite it being clear that Rabhan thinks Roan is just another passing wave that should be condescended to, he did make one good point: musical artists should stand up for each other financially, not just in speeches when the whole world is watching.

Here’s the thing: the entire point of Roan’s speech was how labels should take care of their smaller artists by providing basic needs like healthcare. And even though Roan has her own misgivings about the topic of healthcare, figures like Rabhan make this request seem impossible or unreasonable when the reality is that institutions like the NBA provide healthcare, something they didn’t always do. Rabhan argues that these are the financial systems of the music industry and that they’re set in stone; to change them, you must shed “blood” like Tom Petty and Prince. And that is what he implored Roan to do too.

Well, Roan showed Rabhan that she’s not quite as wet behind the ears as he thinks she is. While other artists expressed rage at Rabhan’s condescending article, Roan simply took to her Instagram stories and called his bluff. She not only said she’s willing to donate $25,000 to a fund supporting upcoming artists, but she’s also asking Rabhan to donate too. Rabhan responded with silence.

While the crickets chirped, other artists like “Stick Season” singer Noah Kahan took it upon himself to say that if nobody else will match Roan’s challenge, then he will pony up $25,000 of his own. In his announcement on his Instagram stories, he told Roan, “You inspire me. Happy to get the ball rolling.”

Soon, fellow controversial Grammy winner Charli XCX also made a pledge and said Roan’s speech at the Grammys inspired her.

Rabhan, on the other hand, is characteristically still lecturing Roan, saying that his article was not a personal attack and that she needs to stop “dumpster diving.”

Rabhan — despite telling others to put their money where their mouth is — has still not publicly pledged a dime.