Chappell Roan Says She Thought a ‘Lesbian Country Song Is Really Funny,’ So She Wrote ‘The Giver’

“Good Luck, Babe!” hitmaker Chappell Roan is opening up about her new self-described country song, “The Giver,” which arrives later on Thursday (March 13).

Roan recently made the media rounds, visiting Amazon Music’s Country Heat Weekly podcast on Thursday (March 13). With hosts Kelly Sutton and Amber Anderson, the musician opened up about creating the new country-leaning bop — and also made her intentions clear.

“I’m trying to really articulate that it’s not me trying to cross genres and be like, ‘Hey, you know, look at me.’ I’m not trying to convince a country crowd that they should listen to my music by baiting them with a country song,” Roan said. “That’s not what I feel like I’m doing. I just think a lesbian country song is really funny, so I wrote that.”

Roan also noted, “I wrote a country song not to invade country music, but to really capture what I think, the essence of country music is, for me, which is nostalgia, and fun in the summertime, and the fiddle, and the banjo feeling like country queen. It makes me feel a certain type of freedom that pop music doesn’t let me feel. I think it’s interesting and I had to do it. I had to do it for myself to know what is it actually like to write a country song and perform it next to ‘Casual’ or next to ‘My Kink Is Karma’ or next to ‘Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl’ — I just had to do myself justice.”

The Missouri native referenced the title of her 2023 album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, saying, “Well, and I can’t call myself the Midwest princess and not acknowledge country music straight up. That is what is around me in the grocery stores. That’s what is playing on the bus … I know that my heart really wanted to write a country song.”

Roan previously shared her thoughts on writing “The Giver,” and said she grew up surrounded by country music as a child. “I have such a special place in my heart for country music. I grew up listening to it every morning and afternoon on my school bus and had it swirling around me at bon fires, grocery stores and karaoke bars,” she wrote in a March 4 Instagram post. “Many people have asked if this means I’m making a country album??? My answer is.. hmm right now I’m just making songs that make me feel happy and fun and The Giver is my take on c–try xoxo may the classic country divas lead their genre, I am just here to twirl and do a little gay yodel for yall.”

Over the past few years, Roan has gained pop music acclaim thanks to songs including the Billboard Hot 100 top five hit “Good Luck, Babe!” and top 10 hit “Pink Pony Club.” Roan also picked up a Grammy win for best new artist earlier this year.

This article was originally published by Billboard U.S.