“It’s never over”

A powerhouse in today’s music landscape, Grammy-winning artist Chappell Roan is redefining pop music. Widely known for her infectious tracks “Pink Pony Club” and “Good Luck, Babe”, the eclectic artist stands out for her onstage presence and transformative costumes.

With the release of her latest single, “The Subway”, Roan dives in with Zane Lowe on Apple Music Radio’s live broadcast to discuss the real origins of the song and the highly anticipated next era for her. Get ready to be excited about what she has to say below, or click play to listen to the rest of the conversation with Lowe.

Chappell Roan tells Apple Music about the real origin of her new song, “The Subway”…

“I actually wrote it about LA, but “The Subway” is just so much more romantic. But it was actually about me hiding in Los Angeles from someone who I was deeply in love with. But we weren’t on bad terms, it was just kind of trying to avoid the coffee shops that we went to and parties. And so that’s where it came from, was, ‘Oh my God, I don’t know how to exist in this city.’ I felt pretty lonely there for many years.”

Chappell Roan on performing “The Subway” for the first time in front of a crowd…

“I think it was Oslo in Norway…it was crazy. Everyone was singing along for the first time. It’s been out in the zeitgeist for over a year, and then to perform it live and for everyone to hear it finally, it’s just so cool. It felt so good. Now I had a full set of songs that everyone knew.”

What’s the next era for her…

“I think it’s a good ring on the ladder. Midwest Princess is her, but even though this next era, I don’t really know what it is, but “Subway” is a very safe segue to it. But I just think that “The Giver,” “Good Luck, Babe,” “The Subway,” they’re all kind of so different, so that’s why I’m just like, ‘I have no idea what the next era is.’ That’s the scary part of putting out new music and then people not liking it because it’s not like the music you made before, and so it makes you scared to release stuff. Because you’re like, ‘Well, people aren’t ever going to like it as much as the first one’ and that’s the risk you take every single time.”

Chappell Roan tells Apple Music she still feels unsettled after the LA fires and being displaced in Altadena…

“I want to write music whenever I feel settled. I haven’t felt settled. It’s been a very unsettling year and a half and I think once I really feel calm in a new house and have a routine, I just can’t wait to have a routine. And then I can think about writing a song once I have a routine.”

Chappell Roan shares what her ideal songwriting routine looks like…

“I’m waking up in the same bed, eating the same food in the morning time. Being in the same city, wearing the same, wearing my slippers. Just very basic. That’s just not a thing right now and it hasn’t been for a very long time. Because since I lived in Altadena and got displaced from the fires and have been living in Airbnbs for seven months, and I finally got a new place and I’ve only been there for 10 days. And then I came on this big tour.vSo it’s been a journey on how do I release music within the state of everything?”

On her upcoming tour plans…

“I’m far from done touring. We got some stuff February and March all next year, so we’re not done yet. But I think that once this is done and the US shows are done, it’ll definitely feel like a big breath of weight off my shoulders, just so I can chill for a sec and actually think about writing. But we’re almost done with the victory lap. Next April, I’ll be done with the victory lap.”

On why she chose Saskatchewan in “The Subway” lyrics..

Zane Lowe: I love the idea of place names in music, I’m obsessed with them. There’s an eternal playlist of place names in music ready to be made. Saskatchewan now has its place on that playlist. I’ve got to get granular with you because you know I’ve got to get super nerdy on this. You’re in the studio, writing this beautiful song, which we’re going to talk about in a second. And you’re looking for something, you’re looking for a place, and Saskatchewan. How the fuck do you land in Saskatchewan?

Chappell Roan: Because it rhymed. I can’t remember. There was other options, but we were having problems with, we’d already used Boston in Femininomenon. I was like, it needed something “on.” And so-

Zane Lowe: Saskatchewan, effectively four syllables with a ghost fifth. It’s a writer’s dream.

Chappell Roan: I mean, it’s awesome. I’ve never been there, but I promise I will perform there one day. And I also just love that the capital is called Regina.

Zane Lowe: Yes, exactly, exactly. So you’re going to do an open-air show at some point in Regina, Saskatchewan, and it’s going to be fucking epic.
Chappell Roan: Oh, I will be all up in Regina, don’t you worry.

Here’s why breaking into the country space with “The Giver” didn’t feel scary to her…

“I think that’s one of the most admirable things an artist can do, honestly. When Gaga released Joanne, and just was like, “Oh, I actually have this entire other side of me outside of pop.” That just builds the character of your artistry. And so it is scary to release a country song, but this felt not scary to me.”

Credits to Apple Music