Turns out, Elton John loves to see Chappell Roan winning just as much as we do.
The “Good Luck, Babe!” singer appeared earlier this week on the latest installment of John’s Apple Music radio show, Rocket Hour, which was celebrating its 400th episode. The “Rocketman” singer made it abundantly clear that he’s been a fan since long before Roan’s recent explosive rise to popularity. (For example, she first appeared on Rocket Hour last September).
“Since then, your journey has kind of accelerated, especially recently,” he said, adding that the album “is doing so brilliantly.”
“I rang you the other night and said, ‘Listen, I’m not stalking you, but I’m as excited about your album’s success as you are.’ It’s wonderful to see true talent being recognized,” John continued.
From the barely controlled joy in Roan’s response, it’s evident that she is just as big of a fan of John as he is of her, which makes watching even a brief conversation between two queer pop icons of different generations genuinely touching. Roan said that the sudden attention was “overwhelming,” but that it was also affirming of her decision to push “through the hard times.”
Though Roan might seem like an overnight success, she later clarified in the interview that she’s “been building these baby steps for so many years.” She surmised that the runaway success of “Good Luck, Babe!” her Tiny Desk concert, first late-night performance, and opening slot on Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS tour led to the “perfect setup” for her to finally blow up.
Roan also shared some of the stories behind some of her most popular songs, including “Pink Pony Club,” the single that landed Roan her first appearance on Rocket Hour. She has previously said that the track was inspired by her first experiences at a gay bar in West Hollywood, and further elaborated to John that it was “kind of a spiritual experience” and “the first time I felt something like the Holy Spirit.”
“I was very enthralled with the gogo dancers and I was like, ‘I have to do this,’” she explained. “Instead of doing it, I wrote a song about me doing it.”
As for “Red Wine Supernova,” Roan called it “a gay girl anthem.” “It’s hard to explain, but it just feels like a lesbian bar in a song,” she said. (Can’t argue with that one.)
Given how much the two artists admire each other, let’s cross our fingers for a Chappell Roan x Elton John collab in the future.
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