Chappell Roan was fiery before the 2024 MTV VMAs even started on Wednesday night, September 11. The Midwest Princess was caught on video appearing to advise an off-camera photographer to “shut the f*ck up.” Roan brought that energy to the UBS Arena stage in New York. You can watch the performance above.
RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Sasha Colby introduced Roan by saying, in part, “Pop music in inclusive. No matter what you look like, who you love, it’s meant for everyone. And no one has revitalized that spirit more than this next artist.”
Roan’s set design was a medieval castle. She strutted through the gates while carrying a fiery bow, then shot it up toward the castle to set everything on fire. She launched intto “Good Luck, Babe!” and delivered pristine vocals while dancing with a bunch of armored people yielding swords. Roan belted out “I told you so” while her armored dancers fought behind her, and by the end, Roan was the last one standing.
“Good Luck, Babe!” and “Hot To Go” have catapulted Roan into the zeitgeist this summer. “Good Luck, Babe!” peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in August.
In addition to being a 2024 MTV VMAs performer, Roan won Best New Artist.