Saskatchewan Minister Welcomes Chappell Roan to the Province After Viral Lyric in 'The Subway'

Saskatchewan is ready to embrace Chappell Roan.

Since teasing “The Subway” during festival appearances and tour dates last year, the openly queer artist is finally releasing the track on Thursday (July 31) at 8 pm ET.

Last June, she performed the song at the Bonnaroo Music Festival, and briefly spoke about its potential release, noting it feels like the "cousin" of her The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess track, "Casual."

In the song, the Midwest Princess shouts out the Western Canada province, saying: “Well, f—k this city, I’m movin’ to Saskatchewan,” — and they’ve taken note.

Yesterday (July 29), Nathaniel Teed, the 2SLGBTQ Affairs Shadow Minister for the province’s official opposition alliance, Saskatchewan New Democratic Party, penned a letter to Roan’s management and asked to work with the Grammy-winning artist.

“I am a fierce advocate for the queer and trans community and would love to collaborate with Chappell Roan on an act of joyful queer resistance in Saskatchewan,” he wrote in an official letter posted to X.

Teed, who is the first openly gay Member of the Legislative Assembly in the province’s history, shared the archive of Saskatchewan’s dynamic history of progressive politics, which has historically been a “haven for queer people.” He noted Saskatchewan’s growing shift to far-rights policies has actively harmed the province’s queer and trans youth, citing the 2023 passed Bill 137, which aims to erase trans identities in schools and remove third-party sex education.

“Chappell's viral lyric in her song ‘The Subway’ about moving to Saskatchewan sparked unexpected joy here and a real sense of connection. We'd love to turn that moment into something tangible,” said Teed.

“Our vision is a collaboration with Chappell that offers an unapologetic middle finger to bigotry and signals to queer and trans people across this province — especially youth — that they are not alone!”

Teed signed off the letter welcoming Roan to Saskatchewan and a “deep appreciation for the work Chappell is doing to make space for queer liberation through art.”

While Roan has no current plans to tour in Saskatchewan, she is embarking on a brief U.S. run in the fall, with dates in New York, her home state of Missouri and California.