Chappell Roan Has the Best Response for Her Grammys Speech Critic

Chappell Roan won big at this year's Grammys, earning the highly coveted Best New Artist award. The drag-inspired then pop diva took the stage at Crypto.com Arena with a notebook in hand to call out record labels for not providing up-and-coming artists with the support they need.

“I told myself if I ever won a Grammy…I would demand that labels and the industry profiting millions of dollars off of artists would offer a livable wage and health care, especially to developing artists,” she said on stage before adding, “It was so devastating to feel so committed to my art and feel so betrayed by the system and so dehumanized to not have health care.”

She concluded her speech with, “Labels, we got you but do you got us?”

On January 5, a few days after she used her platform to speak up, music exec Jeff Rabhan criticized her decision in a guest op-ed for The Hollywood Reporter, referring to her as “Chappell Groan.” In part, Rabhan wrote that Chappell was “far too green and too uninformed to be the agent of change she aspires to be today” and that her “call for record labels to pay artists a livable wage and provide health care was noble—but also wildly misinformed.”

He added that “she should do something about it—rather than just talk at it. Change is waiting to be championed, not just announced.”

Now the Midwest Princess has reentered the chat. On January 7, Chappell took to her Instagram Stories to reveal that she donated $25,000 toward the cause, writing, “Wanna match me $25k to donate to struggling dropped artists?...Let's talk.”

On a second slide, she added, “I love how in the article you said, 'Put your money where your mouth is.' Genius!!! Let’s link and build together and see if you can do the same.” Then, in a series of Stories, she proceeded to shout out some of her fave up-and-coming artists, such as Hemlocke Springs, Sarah Kinsley, Devon Again, and Baby Storme.

Chappell's not only giving other artists love—she's on the receiving end of it, too. Once Rabhan's piece gained traction online, it garnered a heated reaction from musician Halsey in defense of the “Pink Pony Club” hitmaker.

“I hope you’re embarrassed of the absolute personal attack that you’ve ran and disguised as critical journalism,” Halsey wrote on their Instagram Stories. “Jeff Rabhan’s ranting, seething tantrum is loaded with assumptions and accusations that generalize the experience of every artist to that of the most successful. Our industry is comprised of thousands of voices, the elite at the very top of the class are not the example of a monolithic experience for all artists.”

Rabhan has yet to respond to Chappell's social media callout.

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