Chappell Roan responds to op-ed criticising Grammys speech

Chappell Roan has reacted to an op-ed criticising her speech at the Grammys last week – see what she had to say.

• READ MORE: On The Cover – Chappell Roan: the pop supernova who feels like one of the ‘Drag Race’ girls

Last week (February 2), the former NME Cover star won her first Grammy at this year’s ceremony. While collecting the award for Best New Artist, she called out the music industry and “demanded that labels in the industry profiting millions of dollars off of artists would offer a liveable wage and health care, especially developing artists.”

Following her speech, Jeffrey Rabhan – a longtime music executive and former Chair of NYU’s Clive Davis Institute – responded to her words in The Hollywood Reporter, calling her Grammys speech “misguided” and “uninformed” in a guest column.

The ‘Good Luck, Babe’ singer has since hit out at Rabhan herself, posting a screenshot of his article in which he claimed the Missouri pop star was “no longer a struggling artist” and should “do something about” the wealth disparity “rather than talk about it”.

Chappell Roan has since pledged $25,000 of her own money to donations aiding struggling musicians – other acts like Noah Kahan and Charli XCX have since matched her donations.

Today (February 10), the ‘Pink Pony Club’ singer has once again called out Rabhan while telling her fans that this is an “opportunity” for “industry powers” to step up and isn’t meant as a rally for fans to donate.

She wrote in an Instagram story: “Sharing my personal experinece on the Grammy stage wasn’t meant to be a crowdfunded bandaid but a call to action to the leaders of the industry to step up, help us make real change and protect their investments in a sustainable way.”

Roan continued: “My mind will not be changed about artists deserving more than what’s standard in the industry. Random dudes are allowed to criticise my Grammy speech, but they best put their money where their mouth is, otherwise MOVE out of the way.”

In two follow-up posts, she revealed that she is working with Backline Care, reminding fans: “Fans, y’all don’t have to donate a damn penny. This is one of many opportunities for the industry powers to show up for artists. There is much more work to be done.” She also shared a picture of her receipt for her $25,000 donation to Backline.

Shortly after Rabhan’s guest column was published, Halsey defended Roan against the “personal attack” in the op-ed, taking to her Instagram stories to write that it was “boot licking behaviour”.

In other news, Roan also spoke out in support of trans women at the 2025 Grammys. “It’s brutal right now, but trans people have always existed, and they will forever exist,” she said while on the red carpet. “And they will never, no matter what happens, take trans joy away, and that has to be protected more than anything because I would not be here without trans girls.”