Chappell Roan abruptly pulled out of this weekend’s All Things Go Music Festival, saying she needs to prioritize her health after a stressful “past few weeks.” The announcement came as the 26-year-old singer, who has skyrocketed to popularity in the queer pop genre over the past year, faces online backlash over statements in which she expressed disapproval of both major political parties in the presidential election.
Roan, whose style is heavily influenced by LGBTQ+ and drag culture, was scheduled to headline in New York on Saturday and perform again in Columbia, Md., on Sunday.
“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,” the popstar wrote on Instagram on Friday. “Things have gotten overwhelming over the past few weeks and I am really feeling it. I feel pressures to prioritize a lot of things right now and I need a few days to prioritize my health.”
All Things Go Music Festival organizers said on Instagram that they were “heartbroken” to announce the news, but added, “it’s important to remember that health and well-being always comes first.”
The backlash against Roan began after the Guardian published an interview with her last Friday, in which she told the outlet: “I don’t feel pressured to endorse someone. There’s problems on both sides. I encourage people to use your critical thinking skills, use your vote — vote small, vote for what’s going on in your city.”
Outrage quickly followed, as some argued that Roan was essentially discouraging her fan base from voting for Vice President Kamala Harris, thus helping Donald Trump return to the White House.
Trump has said that if elected for a second term, he plans to remove providers from Medicare and Medicaid that offer gender transition care to minors, and remove anything in the federal government deemed to promote transgender identity.
Harris, on the other hand, is campaigning on her support for transgender rights, speaking out against bans on LGBTQ+ books. Under the current administration, she’s passed a rule that prohibits schools from discriminating against students based on gender identity.
Roan has said her critics took her interview out of context, but her initial attempt to clarify her words didn’t quell the outrage. She then said in a TikTok earlier this week that she planned to vote for Harris, but she again refused to endorse the Democratic nominee because while she believes “one’s obviously better than the other,” she finds both major political parties’ stances to be problematic.
“There is no way I can … stand behind some of the left’s completely transphobic and completely genocidal views,” she said, adding that the Democratic Party has failed “people like me and you,” Palestinians and other marginalized communities around the world. “ … This is not me playing both sides. This is me questioning both sides.”
Roan has previously been vocal about her boundaries and privacy. In a TikTok last month, she called out some fans’s “creepy behavior,” asking: “Would you stalk [a random lady’s] family? Would you follow her around? Would you try to dissect her life and bully her online?”
Representatives for Roan didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
She was originally meant to join Reneé Rapp and the indie pop band Muna as headliners of New York’s festival on Saturday. Sunday’s scheduled performers in Maryland include Hozier, Conan Gray and Maren Morris.
“All Things Go strongly supports artists prioritizing their well-being and we ask our community to rally around Chappell Roan with love and understanding,” the festival’s statement continued. “Let’s continue to show the world that music fans support not just the art, but the artists themselves.”
Roan ended her message on Friday with a heart symbol. “I want to be present when I perform and give the best shows possible,” she wrote. “Thank you for understanding.” But some fans mounted more complaints about the star that afternoon, as many disappointed concertgoers joined the fray.
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