The Grammys are usually a mess of fake smiles, awkward teleprompter readings, and the music industry collectively patting itself on the back for making artists work themselves into the ground. But this year, Chappell Roan—pop’s resident theatrical queen and new Best New Artist winner—used her acceptance speech to highlight something actually important: the absolute state of healthcare (or lack thereof) for artists dropped by labels.
“If my label would have prioritised artists’ health, I could have been provided care by a company I was giving everything to,” Roan said, immediately throwing a much-needed grenade into the conversation.
Enter Jeff Rabhan, a former A&R exec, who apparently took offence to the idea that labels should take responsibility for, you know, not leaving their artists in medical debt. In an op-ed for The Hollywood Reporter, he called Roan “wildly misinformed” (because God forbid an artist have an opinion on their own lived experience). That’s when Roan pulled the most baller move possible—donating $25,000 to help struggling artists with healthcare and challenging him to match it.
“Mr. Rabhan, I love how in the article you said ‘put your money where your mouth is,'” she wrote. “Let’s link and build together and see if you can do the same.” That’s basically the charity version of a mic drop.
Then, like a beautifully chaotic domino effect, Charli XCX and Noah Kahan jumped in to match Roan’s donation. Charli called Roan’s speech “inspiring and thoughtful and from a genuine place of care” before pledging $25,000, while Kahan, who’s been loud about mental health advocacy, also put his money where Rabhan’s mouth was.
This whole saga is a perfect summary of the music industry’s priorities. Labels will throw millions at marketing a song for TikTok virality but won’t spare a dime to make sure their artists can go to the doctor. It also highlights how artists are increasingly the ones stepping up for each other when the industry won’t. Roan, Charli, and Kahan didn’t have to do this—but they did because they actually care about the people who make music happen, and that’s more than another condescending op-ed.
