Chappell Roan Cancels Shows, Cites ‘Overwhelming’ Discourse

Chappell Roan, the “Good Luck, Babe!” singer whose career has exploded in recent months, announced Friday that she’s canceling two of her upcoming shows amid recent backlash to some of her political statements.

Roan will not appear at the All Things Go festival in New York City and outside Washington, D.C., this weekend, she notified fans on social media.

“Things have gotten overwhelming over the past few weeks and I am really feeling it,” Roan wrote. “I feel pressures to prioritise a lot of things right now and I need a few days to prioritise my health. I want to be present when I perform and give the best shows possible. Thank you for understanding.”

Roan, 26, caused a stir on social media earlier this week after The Guardian published an interview with her where she said she wouldn’t endorse Vice President Kamala Harris for president.

“I have so many issues with our government in every way,” Roan told the paper. “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. I encourage people to use your critical thinking skills, use your vote — vote small, vote for what’s going on in your city.”

Some fans and critics argued that Roan was suggesting a false equivalency between Democrats and Republicans, noting that the latter’s party platform includes aggressive opposition to transgender rights and abortion protections, as well as conservative stances on other major issues that affect Roan’s base of young, progressive fans. Others raised concern that Roan seemed to be suggesting people sit out the election between Harris and former President Donald Trump, a race-baiting demagogue who tried to overturn the 2020 election results and has been found liable for sexual abuse.

Roan addressed the backlash in a TikTok video, saying she has problems with Harris but still plans to vote for her.

“Obviously fuck the policies of the right, but also fuck some of the policies on the left,” Roan said Wednesday, saying she couldn’t stand behind what she called the left’s “transphobic and completely genocidal views” ― an apparent reference to America’s support of Israel in the war in Gaza.

It’s unclear what issues she has with Democrats’ transgender policies, which generally align with what LGBTQ+ groups are seeking in this election.

Roan also upset fans when she canceled shows in Europe earlier this month with only a few days’ notice, citing unspecified “scheduling conflicts.” Many speculated that she canceled so she could attend rehearsals for the MTV Video Music Awards, where she both performed and won the award for Best New Artist.