A young generation of artists is fighting for labor rights in the US. Chappell Roan speech
Aktualności|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Chappell Roan has responded to criticism of a speech she gave calling for artists to receive a living wage while accepting her Grammy for Best New Artist.
The Pink Pony Club hitmaker was honoured at the ceremony on Sunday and used the platform to urge music labels to provide more support, including healthcare, to developing musicians.
While she received a standing ovation from the audience, music executive Jeff Rabhan branded Chappell „disingenuous” because she’s profiting from the industry she’s calling out, adding she was „wildly misinformed”.
Responding on Instagram, the US singer says she’s donated $25,000 (£20,000) to support struggling artists and encouraged Jeff to match her donation.
The 26-year-old’s break-out hit Good Luck, Babe! catapulted her to mainstream success last year and she was recognised with a trophy in Los Angeles.
On stage, Chappell said she’d always told herself if she ever won a Grammy and had the chance to address „the most powerful people in music”, she would demand that „labels and the industry profiting millions of dollars off of artists would offer a liveable wage and healthcare”.
Chappell, who was first signed when she was 17, shared that she struggled to find a job after being dropped by her label in 2020 and could not afford health insurance.
„It was so devastating to feel so committed to my art and feel so betrayed by the system and so dehumanised,” she said.
She added labels need to treat artists as „valuable employees”, asking them: „We got you, but do you got us?”