Chappell Roan’s latest single, “The Subway,” has already made waves as an end of summer heartbreak anthem — appearing at the top of the charts, inspiring dreamy visuals with its music video, and even giving Canadian province Saskatchewan a tourism boost (more on this later). But now, the pop star is peeling back the curtain, sharing that the New York City transportation-themed track is actually about a story that took place all the way across the country… in Los Angeles.
In an Aug. 12 interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe on New Music Daily, Roan revealed her new song is actually “about me hiding in Los Angeles from someone who I was deeply in love with.” The NYC imagery and vibe, she explained, was chosen because “the New York City transport system is just so much more romantic.” She added that avoiding familiar coffee shops and parties in LA left her feeling invisible in the city — something the lyrics of “The Subway” subtly reflect. The interview adds an additional layer to a song that serves as a metaphor for distance and longing — as she described being “pretty lonely there for many years.”
Roan’s willingness to share the messy, unglamorous side of love has become a signature of her work. From one of her very first hits, “Casual” to last year’s song of the summer, “Good Luck, Babe!”, she doesn’t shy away from the parts of life that hurt. “The Subway” fits perfectly into that catalog, delivering an intimate story about unrequited love.
Beyond the story of NYC transportation and LA longing, the track is proving to resonate in unexpected places, as well. Roan’s offhand line about moving to Saskatchewan to recover from heartbreak has led to increased discussion online about the province. Jonathan Potts, CEO of Tourism Saskatchewan shared with Business Insider, “We don’t normally get this kind of publicity from an artist that’s at the peak of their popularity. This is like a gift from heaven.”
Despite this massive wave of attention, Roan fans will need to wait a while for more new music. Roan recently shared with Vogue that her second album “doesn’t exist yet.” Her debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, took nearly five years to complete, and she doesn’t plan on rushing to release the next one. Roan also shared in the New Music Daily interview how the wildfires in Altadena, California, forced her out of her home and into a slew of Airbnbs for months. “I haven’t felt settled,” she said. “It’s been a very unsettling year and a half… Once I really feel calm in a new house and have a routine, I can think about writing a song.”