For those tuned into the summer festival circuit, it’s been apparent that Chappell Roan is the summer’s ascending star. Her first festival performance of “Good Luck, Babe” at Coachella earned rave reviews in April; in May her middle-of-the-day set at Boston Calling drew a crowd of more than 40,000 people. Her own headlining shows have been bumped up to bigger venues to accommodate “overwhelming demand.” This insane hype was reflected at New York City’s Governors Ball Music Festival on Sunday just by watching attendees streaming off the train: many of them were wearing pink and donning cowboy hats, a nod to the “Pink Pony Club” cowgirl theme Roan encourages on her tour. The singer issued no dress code for her festival set, but still they came, dressed to impress just one artist on a day when the lineup featured more than 20. Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to dance free…
Roan emerged, to much fanfare, out of a giant apple bong dressed in drag as “the biggest queen of all,” the Statue of Liberty. By her 4:45 PM slot, the anticipation was already palpable, and the energy from the crowd was unlike any other show of the entire three-day event. Friends and supporters crowded the sides of the stage as thousands of clamoring audience members pressed forward. She kicked off the set in character with characteristic flair, starting with The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess opener “Femininomenon” and transitioning to a local favorite, “Naked In Manhattan.” Later, she debuted a never-before-heard track that would also resonate with a New York crowd, “Subway,” the chorus of which was reminiscent of early 2000s pop by way of Michelle Branch. “It’s just another day/And it’s not over ‘til it’s over/It’s never over,” she sang, once again showing off her powerhouse vocals. “Yeah, I’m still counting down all of the days/’Til you’re just another girl on the subway.”
There were a lot of great, fun, exciting, strong performances throughout Gov Ball this weekend. But none of them delivered the precise mix of qualities that makes Roan such an undeniable star. She understands performing as performance, leaning into the “Chappell Roan” persona and dressing up with her band, engaging the crowd with moments of audience participation. (No one at that show will ever forget doing the “Hot To Go” dance with thousands of other fans.) That’s on top of her fundamental talent as an extremely competent pop songwriter and an incredible vocalist. She pushed right through some minor wardrobe malfunctions, singing seamlessly as two stagehands adjusted her dress. (Roan had a mid-set costume change and came back out dressed as a sexy yellow taxi cab.)
And on top of all that, Roan took that stage with something to say. In between songs she read the inscription etched at the base of the statue. “That means freedom and trans rights. That means freedom and women’s rights.” Visibly emotional and apparently nervous, Roan took the time on one of the biggest stages of her career to add, “It especially means freedom for all oppressed people in occupied territories.” Later on, she dedicated the song “My Kink Is Karma” to the White House, revealing she’d declined an invitation to perform at its Pride Month event. “We want liberty, justice and freedom for all. When you do that, that’s when I’ll come,” she declared.
The A.V. Club staff has been big boosters of Roan for a while, but seeing her at Gov Ball was a truly historic moment in her stratospheric rise to stardom, one that will be remembered as part of the summer she became The Next Big Thing. She combines the performance artistry of Lady Gaga with the cheeky, mega-watt voltage pop songwriting of Katy Perry with a uniquely Gen Z queer sensibility—plus something specific and alchemical that’s all her own. She’s been one to watch since the release of “Pink Pony Club” in 2020. As anyone at the Gov Ball show can attest, she’s now a star you can’t take your eyes off of. [Mary Kate Carr]
Other honorable mentions from the 2024 Governors Ball Music Festival:
- Post Malone got his groove on as the Friday night headliner, playing a bombastic set with pyrotechnics and fireworks that included his latest number-one hit (sans collaborator Morgan Wallen), “I Had Some Help,” in the encore. [Mary Kate Carr]
- The Killers, celebrating the 20-year anniversary of their debut album Hot Fuss, put on a great show steeped in nostalgia. Frontman Brandon Flowers’ voice sounds just as good as it did then, and during their Saturday night headlining set the band performed crowd pleaser after crowd pleaser—including a surprise cover of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ “Maps.” “Very millennial... they know their audience,” we heard one approving audience member comment. [Mary Kate Carr]
- Sabrina Carpenter has arrived. As if the success of “Espresso” wasn’t a sign—a performance she aced at Gov Ball—the singer won the crowd with her new single, “Please Please Please” and another fun “Nonsense” outro. It’s clear she knows how to engage with her fans while making them laugh and bop at the same time—a true pop star. [Saloni Gajjar]
- Carly Rae Jepsen retains her niche pop icon status with an upbeat set of hits from throughout her long and fruitful career. The disco-infused dance numbers from The Loneliest and The Loveliest Time were highlights, but of course everyone went wild for “Call Me Maybe” and the absolutely transcendent “Cut To The Feeling.” [Mary Kate Carr]
- Renee Rapp was as fiery as her pyrotechnics as she belted fan favorites like “Talk Too Much,” “Poison Poison,” and “Snow Angel,” and defended theater kids’ honor before singing her breakup ballad, “In The Kitchen.” She also included a raucous solo rendition of her Mean Girls hit, “Not My Fault,” which was a fun treat for the theater kids in question (and everybody else, of course). [Emma Keates]
- Faye Webster opened her laundromat-themed set with a Minons-themed visual before transitioning into her dreamy, bluesy, but still energetic set—one that was Chappell Roan approved, as the singer was caught on camera in a hoodie and full green body paint swaying with the rest of the crowd. [Mary Kate Carr]
- SZA headlined day three at Gov Ball to prove yet again that she’s simply an incredible performer. She serenaded a packed show with SOS hits, beloved collabs like “All The Stars” and “Kiss Me More,” and her latest track, “Saturn.” It was sexy, glamorous, and crowd-pleasing in all the right ways. (Just watch a video of her performing “Low” if you don’t believe us). [Saloni Gajjar]