Chappell Roan rose to success in 2024, with songs like ‘HOT TO GO!’ and ‘Good Luck, Babe!’ becoming mainstream hits. Her latest song ‘The Giver’ has put a twist on her usual pop-persona, as she takes a shot at country music.
In a recent interview, Roan explained how her relationship with country music stems from her upbringing in Missouri. She stated how she wanted to honour that part of herself by making a country song: “Yes, I’m gay. Yes, I’m ultra-pop. Yes, I’m a drag queen, that can also all be country.”
The song itself has been a success so far. At the time of writing, it has been out for less than a week and already gained over 15 million streams on Spotify. While it does stand out from the rest of her work through its connections to the country genre, there definitely still remains a pop sound to the track. As someone who is not much of a country fan, I was a bit worried the song wouldn’t be for me, but safe to say I loved it!
The lyrics are fun and campy like much of her other work, and the overall sound makes you want to get up and dance. Throughout the song, she manages to use the country music aesthetic while also staying true to her own image and style. For example, the song uses country conventions to talk about queer culture, a theme that is rare to find in traditional country music. Despite the genre change, ‘The Giver’ is still completely Chappell Roan and I don’t think this song will feel out of place on her next pop album.
In another interview she said that “I wrote a country song to capture what I think the essence of country music is for me which is nostalgia and fun.” Roan manages to stay true to herself and have fun during this track, all whilst showing off her incredible singing skills. Once again, she has managed to create another hit single, and all the signs are pointing to an incredibly successful second album in the future. I can’t wait to see what she does next!
