- We first saw Chappell Roan when we went to see Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts tour.
- Roan canceled her appearance at a festival we were attending the day before it started.
- I was able to teach my daughter valuable life lessons about work and health.
I first saw Chappell Roan when I took my teenage daughter to one of them Olivia Rodrigo’s early stops on her Guts tour. Roan was opening for Rodigo, and she was incredible. We both loved her performance and couldn’t wait to see her again.
We thought we’d finally get that chance in “All things go” music festival in Washington, DC. In the months since we first saw Roan perform, she’s skyrocketed to fame, but left a trail of disappointed fans when she canceled two shows in Europe and rescheduled a third. My daughter saw Chappell drop F-bombs at reporters at an awards show and declared, “Chappell is no good.”
We hoped for minimal drama. The festival had an incredible lineup, but Roan was the main draw for us. When Roan canceled the day before the festival, my daughter was angry and worried. Roan said she canceled her appearances at the festival prioritize her mental health.
My immediate reaction was to support Roan and her need for space. However, my daughter pointed out that Roani seems to be struggling for a long time, to the point where it seems that he can’t do his job and can’t even follow through on commitments.
This brought up many complicated issues for me as my 14 year old navigates a high pressure high schooldecisions about her future and the need to take care of her mental health.
Here’s what we talked about.
You may achieve your dreams, but find that they are not what you wanted after all
Roan may be canceling shows and crashing because being a superstar isn’t what she imagined. At the age of 14, my daughter wants to become a doctor. Getting there won’t be the same as becoming a pop princess, but it will take years of hard work. After putting in blood, sweat and tears, she could make it the pinnacle of her career only to find that it doesn’t make her happy.
If that happens, I hope she corrects course and finds something that brings her joy. We talked about how it’s important to know when it’s time to walk away.
A job is always a job, no matter how much you love it
The increased demands that came along with success may have taken the shine off Roan’s work as a performer and public figure. I told my daughter that even if she she loves her jobthere will be days she wishes she didn’t have to go to work.
Many people don’t have the luxury of not showing up when those days hit because they need a paycheck. However, Roan’s cancellations allowed me to talk to my daughter about how rock stars sometimes find their work unglamorous and stressful. While I hope my daughter always loves her job, the reality is that there will be days or months when she would rather be doing something else.
It’s part of being an adult.
Sometimes, there are no good options
Many of Roan’s fans agree that she did the right thing prioritizing her mental health. After Roan canceled her appearances, the All Things Go festival released a statement saying they supported Roan’s decision. However, it is undeniable that many of Roan’s fans were disappointed.
My daughter and I talked about how sometimes there are no good options. Although Roan was absolutely correct in defending her mental health, she must have known that this would disappoint many of her fans. Some had bought tickets to “All Things Go” the year before and others made significant expenses to go to the festival.
Sometimes, there are no good options, but in the end, it is important to choose for yourself.
Getting help is important
Roan has a right to privacy and she is under no obligation to disclose what, if any, treatment she is receiving. However, I told my daughter that there is no shame in getting mental health treatment and I hope Roan gets the care he needs.
Once Roan is ready, I hope she takes this opportunity to share mental health resources with her fans who may be struggling with their own mental health but don’t have a team to help them find help