Pop star Chappell Roan took to her TikTok account to explain her 2024 election stance after facing backlash online from her fans.
The Good Luck, Babe! singer posted a video to her 3.7 million followers to clarify her stance on voting in 2024, after she was accused online of sitting on the fence during the election.
Chappell Roan shot to fame in the past year, after the release of her debut album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess and a rapid rise in followers after opening for singer Olivia Rodrigo on tour.
She is no stranger to outspokenness, previously asking fans on TikTok to stop stalking her, and shouting back at the paparazzi at the VMAs on September 11.
Chappell Roan at the Video Music Awards and Kamala Harris, inset. Chappell has not endorsed Harris or Donald Trump for the presidency.
Main image: Evan Agostini, Inset: Ben Hendren/Associated Press
Most recently, she recently faced backlash due to a quote from a Guardian interview which read: “I have so many issues with our government in every way. There are so many things that I would want to change.
“So I don’t feel pressured to endorse someone. There’s problems on both sides.”
Detractors of the star were quick to criticize her comments, which the singer insists were taken out of context.
Chappell Roan said in her TikTok, which was posted on September 23: “I have encouraged people to use critical thinking skills, learn about what they’re voting for, and ask questions.”
She said that there was more nuance to the interview than what was reposted to the internet.
Chappell Roan said that the quote in full was her urging people to use their vote. She said: “Vote small. Vote for what’s going on in your city.”
She added that the election issue that matters the most to her is trans rights, and that she does not believe that cis people should be making decisions about trans rights.
In her video, Chappelle Roan says that those who go to her shows know that her politics are not “lip-service” or “virtue signaling.”
Chappell Roan performing in London, where £1 from each ticket went to an LGBTQ+ charity. She has encouraged people to vote over local concerns in the election.
Scott A Garfitt/Associated Press
For example, £1 from each of her U.K. tickets sold went to the Kaleidoscope Trust, an LGBTQ+ charity. The singer sold out three nights at London’s Brixton O2 which has a capacity of 4,921 people. She also sold out one night at the O2 Academy Glasgow with a 2,500 capacity, and one night at the Manchester Academy with a 2,600 capacity.
The opening acts for her shows are local drag queens to highlight queer talent in each city that she visits. Additionally, at her London show she spoke at length about how grateful she is to know gay people and allies of the gay community.
To clear up rumors that she was more right-leaning than she appears, she said: “No, I’m not voting for Trump.”
However, she did not clarify whether she would vote for Harris. And added that: “Actions speak louder than words and actions speak louder than an endorsement.”
This separates her from pop peers Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish who have both openly endorsed Harris.
Comments are turned off on the original video, however some comments under the reposted video on PopCrave’s X account accuse the singer of still being too vague.
Rob Anderson, author of Gay Science, posted Chappelle Roan’s video to his 157,800 X followers and captioned it: “Babe I love you but my local zoning commissioner election is not more important than Kamala Harris preventing two heinous supreme court nominations when Thomas and Alito retire.”
However, many other fans cheered her on online, saying that she is brave to have a nuanced political stance.
