If you dial the number 620-HOT-TOGO, an automated answering machine asks if you are looking to book a dentist appointment, reach an attorney, call a plumber, use other construction services, or speak to a private investigator. Depending on which number you press, snippets of a country-pop song play. Go ahead, try it out!
This is all marketing for Chappell Roan’s release of her new song “The Giver.” Billboards advertising the phone number were plastered all over major cities. It pictured Chappell in an oversized blue suit and slicked-back bun with the words “Your ex’s worst nightmare. Call 620-HOT-TOGO. They’ll take it like a taker.”
This phone number was previously used to promote her older song “HOT TO GO!”, when callers could leave her voicemails before the release of her now highly acclaimed album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess (TRAFOAMP).
This release of “The Giver” marks a more official start to her second album’s era. However, most fans had already heard the song when Chappell debuted it in her November 2 Saturday Night Live performance. I loved how it sounds very country and has hilariously raunchy lyrics, which is very on-brand for Chappell.
However, this wasn’t the first song Chappell has teased since the release of TRAFOAMP. On April 6, 2024, she released the single “Good Luck, Babe!” I actually had the privilege of seeing it performed live at her concert that very same night! Totally not bragging.
Then, in June 2024, Chappell performed at the Governors Ball Music Festival and sang a song titled “The Subway.” This is my favorite of the songs she’s teased so far, and I can’t wait to stream it instead of playing a random person’s Spotify “podcast.”
Later that month, Chappell also released a 7” vinyl version of “Good Luck, Babe!” which included a new demo on the B-side: “Read and Make Out.” This seems to be a common release style because she is doing the same thing with “The Giver.” Announced shortly after the billboards went up, fans could pre-order the song’s own 7” vinyl, which included a B-side song called “Fix It In The Morning.” Unfortunately, this vinyl is not being shipped until August 18, so we’ll have to wait to see what that sounds like!
These five songs are all up for grabs to be on Chappell’s next album, currently referred to as CR2. Based on what I’ve heard, it will be similar in visual style and musical genre to TRAFOAMP. However, I think it will include some more overt country themes. Chappell’s GRAMMYs performance had dancing cowboys, and many lyrics from these new songs refer to her as a “country hick” or “no country boy quitter.” I love her leaning even more into her Midwest identity, and I am intrigued about this new era.
All of these teasers have made me so excited for new Chappell music. This commercial release of “The Giver” is just the first step into the future of Chappell Roan. I just hope I can get tickets to her next tour!