Chappell Roan's bold move at the Austin City Limits Music Festival has sparked widespread attention. During her performance, the 26-year-old singer dedicated her song “My Kink is Karma” to her former theater teacher, who had once expelled her from the theater club. Roan's explicit dedication, as reported by the Daily Mail, included lines like, “I usually dedicate this song to my ex, but I dedicate this song to my f—ing theater teacher…who kicked me out, b–ch! I’m here!” As she sang, Roan altered a few lyrics to directly address her former teacher, singing, “We broke up on a Tuesday. Kicked me out…of theater club.”
Fans rallied behind Roan, sharing their own experiences of mistreatment by theater teachers on social media. One person on X (formerly Twitter) wrote, “As someone who got bullied by his high school theater teacher, Chappell Roan calling out her theater teacher at ACL was healing for the soul.” Another echoed, “Chappell Roan’s teacher who kicked her out of theater club is never going to know peace ever again… and rightfully so!!”
Even fellow artist Tyler the Creator praised Roan's bold move, writing on X, “Shoutout Chappell man. I love the dramatic, it’s like theater kid sh-t, like I loved that sh-t. That sh-t tight.”
This recent performance follows Roan's decision to cancel her tour due to health issues and her struggle with fame and harassment. In a TikTok video, Roan expressed her frustration with aggressive fans, stating, “I don’t care that abuse and harassment, stalking, whatever, is a normal thing to do to people who are famous or a little famous, whatever. I don’t care that it’s normal.” She continued, “I don’t want whatever the f – – k you think you’re supposed to be entitled to whenever you see a celebrity. I don’t give a f – – k if you think it’s selfish of me to say no for a photo or for your time or for a hug –– that’s not normal, that’s weird!”
Roan's decision to prioritize her mental health led her to withdraw from the All Things Go Festival in New York. In a message on her Instagram Story, she explained, “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 concluded, “I feel pressure 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. Be back soon xox.”
Adding to her recent public statements, Roan also snapped at a photographer on the 2024 MTV VMAs red carpet, telling them to “shut the f–k up.” She later won the Best New Artist award that night.
