When Chappell Roan released her debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, Last September, it didn't immediately crack the Billboard 200. In fact, it took more than six months to debut at No. 127 on the chart on April 6 — following a boost in exposure following the start of Roan's tour for Olivia Rodrigo.
Now, nearly a year later, both Roan's album and her stardom continue to hit new highs. On the Billboard 200, Midwest Princess entered the top five on the tally, peaking at No. 4 after 19 weeks on the chart. On the Billboard Hot 100, the pop star currently has six songs scattered across the chart, with her latest single, Good Luck, Babe!' climbing to the highest. The hit, which this week entered the top 10 at No. 8, has become Roan's highest charting entry to date.
Roan's dominance of the charts has been a long time coming, and at one point her longtime manager Nick Bobetsky (State of the Art) waited patiently. Bobetzky met Roan in 2018 after her previous record label, Atlantic (from which she retired), shared some of her unreleased music. “Her enormous talent was immediately apparent,” he recalls. “She was always a true artist.”
Since then, Bobetsky and the team have been “solely focused on building the Chappell Roan universe and trusting that the greatness of her and her music will thrive” – just as it is now. And after a record-breaking Lollapalooza Chicago set that saw the festival record its largest crowd of the day, Bobetsky earned his title Bulletin board's Executive of the Week.
Here, Bobetsky talks about the success of “Babe!”, taking over Roan's festival this summer and more. As he says, “I'm very proud to help shape [an artist’s] corridor to success, no matter how long it takes.”
“Good Luck, Babe” has become the highest-charting song of Chappell's career, entering the top 10 of the Hot 100. What key decisions did you make to achieve this?
When Chappell finishes a song she's excited about, we've learned to follow her gut and hit go. in this case, strategizing with Island to get the song out quickly. Chappell has always been about building, which in turn brings momentum. People became fans on their own schedule over the months, having their own moments of discovery. “Good luck, baby!” it was the first time since her sold-out tours, her album release, the snowball effect she was experiencing, where the wider audience could share a new moment together. This shared and focused enthusiasm, combined with the incredible song, gave us a strong launch. We've been able to not only develop the song since then, but the whole album, because we've continued to stay focused on the same core things – building and steady momentum.
Chappell has a total of six songs on the Hot 100 right now. How do you support so many songs at once and decide which one to promote next?
Chappell's songs speak for themselves, her performances have nothing to do with anyone, and her universe has never been about one song, one moment, or one driver — and the fact that we have so many songs on the Hot 100 is a testament to that. We're not cramming anything down anyone's throat and the fans are hearing a lot of songs at once. When it comes to pushing the next song, we're in the incredible position of having a lot to choose from. That said, I don't think it's really about choosing to push anyone in particular, it's about paying attention to who thrives the most. We have live audience reactions, online fans, streaming numbers to guide us. What excites me most is the non-linear nature of it all – that her next song to promote is likely to be out for almost a year.
Dan Nigro signed Chappell to his Amusement label before she signed with Island. How did you help guide her transition to major label?
Dan began making music with Chappell during her previous record deal and remained committed when she and the label parted ways. We released a number of singles independently and built up a very loyal and strong fan base. We focused solely on building Chappell Roan's universe and believing that her greatness and her music would thrive. It started to get loud, labels started rolling in and Dan's Amusement label was the continuation of their creative partnership, now in partnership with Island Records, where it came to an end.
Her debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, was released in September 2023, and just this week — almost a year later — it hit No. 4 on the Billboard 200. What are you and the team doing to maintain its renewed momentum — or do you still plan to do?
Everything in Chappell Roan's world is about building, staying true to her vision and embracing the 100% rule – that if the answer isn't a true 100% yes, it's no. Chappell's development is a very special pairing of a steadfast commitment to momentum, combined with ensuring that every moment is executed to the fullest. We are in an age of a lot of noise, fear of fleeting moments, pressure to say yes at every turn, and our approach is different. She says yes when it's right for her universe and people want to stay involved. The momentum is sustained because it's real and reflects incredible music and art that has real cultural impact.
Chappell's Lollapalooza Chicago set marked the largest daytime crowd in the festival's history across the global franchise. What did you expect and how did you help her prepare mentally?
Every festival Chappell played this summer was bigger than the last. We knew this was going to be big, nobody knew we were going to break records. We work very hard to surround her with visionary creatives, a solid touring team and making sure every element is top notch. I'm not sure how you can mentally prepare for such a big moment, but she was born for such moments.
What kind of momentum has been gained from this news-making set?
We've seen new daily spikes in consumption and online conversation, but I feel the biggest push because I feel like mainstream media, fans, and the industry all saw this coming and were ready to celebrate. It really feels like a “See, I told you so” moment, not from us saying it, but from the masses screaming it.
What's the key to managing a pop star today?
Respect, cooperation and loyalty to the artist. Sure, strategy, relationships, business decisions and all that are important, but that's actually the easy part. When you have a pop star of a generation, the real key is their shared vision and commitment to their long-term greatness. I am very proud to have helped shape their path to success, however long it may take.
