On Feb. 5, The Hollywood Reporter published an op-ed from former chair of the New York University Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music and music executive Jeff Rabhan in which he criticized pop star Chappell Roan for her Best New Artist acceptance speech at the Grammys the weekend prior. In her speech, Roan called upon the music industry to pay small artists a livable wage to cover physical and mental health costs. In the article, Rabhan called her speech “misinformed” and told her “to put her money where her mouth is.” Since his article was published, Chappell called out Rabhan in a series of Instagram stories and donated $25,000 to Backline, a charity supporting struggling artists.
In her acceptance speech, Roan candidly and emotionally discussed her experience as an up-and-coming artist struggling to make ends meet. She said, “I told myself that if I ever won a Grammy and got to stand up here before the most powerful people in music, I would demand that labels in the industry profiting millions of dollars off of artists would offer a liveable wage and health care, especially developing artists.” She then spoke about her experience being dropped from Atlantic Records in 2020, leaving her with feelings of betrayal from the music industry. “I got signed so young, I got signed as a minor. When I got dropped, I had zero job experience under my belt, and like most people, I had quite a difficult time finding a job in the pandemic and [could not] afford insurance.” She ends by saying, “[Record] labels we got you. But do you got us?” to much applause and support from the Grammys audience.
In the op-ed, Rabhan calls Chappell “far too green and uninformed” to make the changes she spoke about in her speech and “wildly misinformed.” In response, Roan once posted a series of Instagram stories doubling down on her statements. In one story, she called out Rabhan by calling him to match her $25,000 donation to support “dropped struggling artists.” She then shouted out small artists “that deserve more love and a bigger platform” by posting the Spotify pages of Baby Storme, Hemlocke Springs, Sarah Kinsley and Devon Again. In another, she posted, “Sharing my personal experience on the Grammy stage wasn’t meant to be a crowdfunded band-aid but a call to action to the leaders of the industry to step up, help us make real change and protect their investments in a sustainable way.” Roan’s donation and advocacy for emerging artists have inspired other artists and organizations to donate and speak up.
After Roan’s donation to Backline, other artists, such as Charli Cxx, Noah Kahan and Sabrina Carpenter, matched her donation. Since Roan’s contribution, the organization has seen a significant increase in donations. In an interview with the BBC, Backline director Hilary Gleason said, “This is a movement, and it’s gonna take every single person in the industry calling for this.” She also expressed the organization’s excitement about being at the forefront of this change.
Roan’s statements have resonated with many University students, many of whom are emerging artists and creatives. University student and writer Emma Frederickson agrees with Roan’s statements, saying, “I think anyone who disagrees comes from a wildly privileged place. Music is a work for artists—even rising ones.” She continues, “Why shouldn’t they be paid for their work? Access to healthcare is a human right, not a privilege.” Roan’s Grammys speech has given a voice and support to many emerging artists, many of which felt alienated by the music industry. As of now, Jeff Rabhan has not responded to Roan’s statements or donation match.
