Chappell Roan doesn’t do anything by half, and she brought a castle, dancing knights and lots of fire to her medieval-themed performance at the VMAs on Wednesday night. She was Chappell Roan of Arc, if you will.
Roan, wearing fake armor, her bright-red hair in pigtails, took the stage bearing a crossbow with its arrow on fire, aimed it at the castle, and then strutted across the stage singing her latest single, “Good Luck Babe!” She was surrounded by male dancers in fake armor doing synchnronized moves, and a set with a backdrop of a giant castle, full moon, and tall gates that ignited with real fire at the beginning of the performance. (Her band was playing further back on the stage, safe behind some low shrubbery.)
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Throughout the performance she played with the dancers, pushing one’s sword away, sitting briefly on the bent knee of another, as the performance climaxed with some fake swordfighting from the dancers and giant explosions at the back of the stage (those weren’t real, but projected onto a video screen).
She nailed the song’s soaring final note, as she always does.
Roan had been introduced by drag queen Sasha Colby — who she’d name-dropped on “Fallon” back in June — who said, “Pop music is inclusive —it’s meant for everyone. And no one has revitalized that spirit more than this next artist. Please welcome your favorite drag queen’s favorite artist: Here is my daughter, Chappell Roan!”
Throughout the past year, Roan has exploded onto the popular music scene with her album “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess,” and singles like “Hot To Go” and “Good Luck, Babe!” She snagged her first two VMA nominations this year for MTV Push Performance of the Year for “Red Wine Supernova” and best new artist of the year.
Roan is headed to London shortly after the show ends to launch her European tour, followed by the 2024 Austin City Limits Music Festival in Texas, with two performances on Oct. 6 and Oct. 13.
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