Franz Ferdinand frontman Alex Kapranos thinks Chappell Roan is “really cool”.
The ‘Take Me Out’ rockers covered the pop sensation’s viral hit ‘Good Luck, Babe!’ for ‘Jo Whiley’s Sofa Session’ on BBC Radio 2 in December, and the singer says he is not only a fan of her music but her “attitude” too.
Speaking to Stereogum, Alex said: “I like a good song. It’s that simple. I don’t care if the song is 60 years old or six days old — a good song is a good song. That Chappell Roan song is brilliant. I think she’s really cool as well. She’s got many, many good songs, and I like her attitude.”
Chappell has recently been praised for setting boundaries after “weird” encounters with some fans.
She wrote on Instagram last year: “I want to love my life, be outside, giggle with my friends, go to the movie theater, feel safe, and do all the things every single person deserves to do.
“Please stop touching me. Please stop being weird to my family and friends. Please stop assuming things about me. There is always more to the story. l am scared and tired.
“And please—don’t call me Kayleigh. I feel more love than I ever have in my life. I feel the most unsafe I have ever felt in my life.
“There is a part of myself that I save just for my project and all of you. There is a part of myself that is just for me, and I don’t want that taken away from me. (sic)”
Sir Elton John reached out to the 26-year-old star – whose real name is Kayleigh Amstutz – to offer his advice on how to deal with fame.
The ‘Tiny Dancer’ hitmaker, 77, FaceTimed the singer after realising she was “overwhelmed with her sudden success” after ‘Good Luck, Babe!’ blew up in 2024.
Speaking to The Ankler, he said: “Sometimes, you know, they get a little overwhelmed. Chappell was a little overwhelmed with her sudden success — although she’d been writing for a long time, it really kind of ballooned very quickly. I just try and calm her down and say, ‘Listen, it’s fine. It’s fine. Do what you want. Don’t listen to anybody. Walk at your own speed. Do not listen to the record company saying, ‘We want another album, we want another album.’ Do it when you’re ready to do it.’ I’ve got that experience. I’ve been through everything in my life as far as knowing what to do in music, seeing people come, seeing people go. Sometimes they disappear much too quickly.”
Olivia Rodrigo, 21, also hailed Chappell an “inspiration” and is thankful for the exchanges they’ve had about surviving pop superstardom.
She told ‘Entertainment Tonight’: “It’s so funny that she said that because I actually feel the same about her. She’s taught me so much about artistry, and about being creative and how to take care of yourself on the road so honestly I’d ask her.
“She’s just so wonderful, she always reminds me that we’re constantly changing and you’re never stuck in one era for your whole life. You can always reinvent and be more creative, and do fun things. I love her so much, she’s an inspiration to me.”