2024 had the world falling at Chappell Roan’s feet. Her breakout hit ‘Good Luck, Babe!’ was everywhere – from TikTok feeds to supermarket speakers – while the slow-burn triumph of debut album ‘The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess’ cemented her status as music’s newest obsession and the unofficial leader of a full-blown lesbian-pop renaissance. One year on from her ascent to megastardom, new single ‘The Subway’ proves she is far more than just an overnight sensation.
Die-hard fans will already be familiar with ‘The Subway’ – Roan’s performed it at several of her live shows over the past year. Marking her second release of 2025, the new single sees Roan trading in her signature rhinestone cowboy hat and camp lyrics for a more serious, sultry vibe. The soulful ballad tells the heartbreaking story of a lover fading into a stranger. Roan’s iconic lilting vocals are filled with raw, melancholic drama, carrying the track in a way that is comparable to her previous, more downbeat tracks ‘Casual’ and ‘Coffee’.
Texturally, the track pulls from shoegaze and dream pop influences, reflecting Roan’s lean towards deeper experimentation in her music. Her vulnerable country girl charm still prevails, particularly in the line “Well, fuck this city / I’m moving to Saskatchewan.”
Of the new track, Chappell shares: “The cliché of ‘the girl that got away’ barely scratches the surface for me with this song. I wrote it as I was stumbling around New York with a broken heart, and I kept envisioning us on every street, fire escape, coffee shop, park and yes… the subway.”
Descending into a haunting choral outro and finishing with a stunning slice of isolated vocals, ‘The Subway’ demands to be kept on repeat. While the single is an enticing taste of what is to come from Chappell Roan’s future, fans are urged not to hold their breath. Speaking to Vogue, she revealed that it may be another five years before a second album is on the cards – but if ‘The Subway’ is anything to go by, CR2 will be worth the wait.
READ MORE: Chappell Roan interviewed
