Chappell Roan drops out of All Things Go festival after weeks of exhausting discourse

Back when we saw Chappell Roan’s impressive Gov Ball performance back in June, it was clear she was becoming the biggest story of the summer. She lit up the festival circuit with her thrilling new track “Good Luck, Babe” and had legions doing the “Hot To Go” dance. Throughout it all, Roan was clear that her stratospheric journey as the Next Big Thing was an uncomfortable one, and her star-making summer took an undeniable toll. Now that’s made manifest in the cancellation of her planned appearance at the All Things Go festival in New York City and Washington, D.C. this weekend. 

“I apologize to people who have been waiting to see me in NYC & DC this weekend at All Things Go, but I am unable to perform. Things have gotten overwhelming over the past few weeks and I am really feeling it,” she wrote in a post to her Instagram Story on Friday. “I feel pressures to prioritize a lot of things right now and I need a few days to prioritize my health. I want to be present when I perform and give the best shows possible. Thank you for understanding,” she added with a heart, ending the post with “Be back soon xox.” The official account for the festival shared a statement of its own on Twitter/X, writing, “We support you Chappell Roan”.

This latest cancellation comes after weeks of getting sucked into exhausting, circular rounds of discourse that were exacerbated by an increasingly parasocial public and Roan’s repeated attempts to clarify her stances on certain hot-button topics. She criticized the way certain spectators treat her simply because she’s famous; she was criticized in turn for perceived lack of gratitude and an inability to handle the demands of fame. She declined to endorse a candidate in the U.S. presidential election and addressed issues on “both sides” of the aisle; she was then accused of ignorance and aiding the Republican agenda to undermine LGBTQ+ rights.

Roan extended the endless news cycle with TikTok videos in which she appeared increasingly frustrated and emotional. She will be voting for Kamala Harris, the 26-year-old shared, but didn’t want to “put my entire name and entire project behind” someone or something she didn’t believe in, citing “some of the left’s completely transphobic and genocidal views.” It will not come as a surprise to anyone watching those clips that Roan—who has previously discussed the difficulty of managing Bipolar II disorder while navigating fame—might need a mental health break.

@chappellroanIm done talking about it. If you dont get what im saying from this, its a lost cause. And im not forcing you to agree with me. This is my statement. Have a good day♬ original sound – chappell roan

Given her talent and originality, it was easy to see Chappell Roan’s moment coming. But it’s tempting, now, to say that no one could’ve predicted what came next—the incredible rise, the fawning adoration, the intensity of the blowback, the weeks and weeks and weeks of exhausting discourse on her every move. Except we could have predicted it, couldn’t we? It’s a tale as old as time: a young, outspoken female pop star is built up to be torn down—and it’s often the worst for the ones bringing queer counter-culture to the mainstream. Roan is fresh blood, but like Lady Gaga before her and Madonna before that, she’s become a lightning rod for bad faith interpretations. Here’s another prediction: someday she, too, will be seen as a punk-rock icon, an imperfect but honest voice of a generation who did her best to balance her art and integrity. Those we crucify today are often deified tomorrow. If only that status didn’t have to come at the expense of so many young female artists’ sanity.