Last Thursday, March 13, pop music’s biggest rising star and Missouri-native Chappell Roan released her first ever country song, “The Giver”. Many pop artists have been delving into the country atmosphere recently, such as Beyoncé’s Grammy-winning “Cowboy Carter” record or even Sabrina Carpenter’s recent release of “Please, Please, Please” featuring Dolly Parton. In an Apple Music podcast interview, Roan said, “I think I have a special relationship to where I’m from because of country music and so to honor that part of myself by making a country song, where it’s like you know what? Yes, I’m gay, and yes, I am ultra-pop. Yes, I am a drag queen that can also perform a country song.”
In February, Roan won Best New Artist at The Grammys, an incredible and well-deserved achievement as her captivating vocals, energetic instrumentation, and iconic drag looks have quickly taken pop-culture by storm. Roan was nominated for five other Grammys as well, while only having one album out. During her acceptance speech, Roan took the time to urge labels to give their artists a liveable wage and healthcare. Living in Los Angeles in 2020, Roan was dropped from her label and was forced to move back home to Missouri to live with her parents. She’s shown she’s not afraid to advocate for young artists because she’s experienced the uncertainty of the music industry.
Leading up to its release, “The Giver” had an elaborate and fun promotional run. Billboards all over the country pictured Chappell Roan dressed as a worker in various careers, including a doctor, lawyer, plumber, dentist, and construction worker. These featured clever taglines related to each career portrayed. One of these billboards pictured Roan as a lawyer and read, “Injured? Call 620-Hot-To-Go. I’ll get the job done!” and fans discovered the number actually played a snippet of “The Giver” upon calling it. Junior Hazel Henderson shared her thoughts on the single and its promotion, sharing, “I’ve been a fan of Chappell since she was opening for Olivia Rodrigo’s SOUR Tour. I’d seen videos on TikTok and was totally mesmerized by her hair, outfits, vocals, and stage presence! Watching her recently, I LOVED her debut performance of The Giver. The SNL set really accentuated her performance. I thought the promo was super creative because it teases the song lyrics and meaning without giving too much away.”
Roan performed the song on SNL all the way back in November. This added to the anticipation for the single, as fans had been begging Roan to release it for months. During the bridge, she ad-libbed to the crowd, “All you country boys saying you know how to treat a woman right. Well, only a woman knows how to treat a woman right,” encapsulating her purpose in writing the song in an ironic way. Lyrics from the track include “Ain’t got antlers on the walls / But I sure know mating calls” and “Ain’t no need to hurry, ’cause, baby, I deliver / Ain’t no country boy quitter / I get the job done”. “The Giver” is a fun, spunky track that brings some necessary queer flair to the country genre.
