Chappell Roan, a rising pop star, is not backing down after facing criticism for her speech at the 2025 Grammys.
On February 7, Roan, 26, hit back at Jeff Rabhan, a music executive who had criticized her speech in an op-ed for The Hollywood Reporter on February 5. During her acceptance speech at the Grammys, Roan had urged the music industry to offer artists “a livable wage and healthcare.”
In response, Roan took to Instagram Stories, challenging Rabhan to match her efforts in supporting struggling artists. “Hey @jeffrabhan, wanna match me $25K to donate to struggling dropped artists? My publicist is @biz3publicity. Let’s talk,” she wrote, posting a screenshot of Rabhan’s op-ed.
Roan continued her message, vowing to keep fans updated on any response from Rabhan. “I’ll show receipts of the donations,” she added, urging Rabhan to put his money where his mouth is.
The pop singer also highlighted several artists who she believes “deserve more love and a bigger platform,” sharing posts about musicians like hemlocke springs, Sarah Kinsley, Devon Again, and Baby Storme.
Roan’s remarks stemmed from her speech after winning Best New Artist at the 2025 Grammys. She used the stage to advocate for change in the industry. “If I ever won a Grammy, I would demand that labels provide a livable wage and healthcare, especially for developing artists,” she told the audience.
Roan shared her own experiences of being signed to a label at a young age, only to be dropped with no job experience and no access to healthcare. “I had a hard time finding a job during the pandemic and couldn’t afford health insurance,” she said. “It was devastating to feel so committed to my art but betrayed by the system.”
Reflecting on her journey, Roan emphasized that record labels need to treat artists as valuable employees, offering proper compensation and protection. “Labels, we got you, but do you got us?” she concluded.
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