Seemingly becoming a household name overnight in 2024 with her single “Good Luck, Babe!” Chappell Roan won a stacked Best New Artist category at this year’s Grammy Awards. As she took the stage to accept her trophy, the “Hot to Go!” singer, 27, reminded viewers that her path to stardom wasn’t an easy one. And recently, she opened up about her experience auditioning for the popular NBC reality show The Voice.
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Chappell Roan Tried Out for ‘The Voice’ as a Teen
Chappell Roan (born Kayleigh Amstutz) has spoken frankly about her experience being dropped from her label as a minor. Undaunted, she returned to her Missouri hometown, often juggling multiple jobs as she continued pursuing her music career.
“I kept hope alive because I knew I was really good,” Roan recently told W magazine. “I knew I had to just give it one more year. And I got that courage by, honestly, just being in hell for a very long time.”
By that point, rejection was nothing new. Speaking with W magazine, Chappell Roan recalled trying her hand on The Voice when she was just 15 years old. She sang “Stay” by Rihanna—”a cappella, the scariest thing ever.” However, her audition did not get the reaction she’d hoped for.
“By the way, when I did the Voice audition, the producer or whoever the f— was watching did not even look up from his phone,” Roan said. “He was like, ‘Okay, next…’ He never really looked at me.”
Two years earlier, the then 13-year-old had auditioned for America’s Got Talent. Of that experience, Roan recalled, “I was 13, and we flew to Austin, Texas, and waited in line with thousands of people at 4 a.m. I sang ‘True Colors,’ by Cyndi Lauper. Did not make it either.”
“Country Music Taught Me How To Write Narratively”
Having conquered pop music, Chappell Roan topped Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart earlier this year with her latest release, “The Giver.” While the pivot came as a shock to many listeners, it was a natural step for someone who grew up listening to artists like George Strait, Dwight Yoakam, Dolly Parton, and Shania Twain.
“Country music taught me how to write narratively,” Roan told W magazine, adding, “I just love campy country songs. I heard them on the bus every morning or at football games: It was country being played over the big speakers. I think country is the campiest music!”
Featured image by Marc Piasecki/WireImage
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