Chappell Roan released her highly-anticipated new country single, “The Giver,” on Thursday (March 13), but she reassured her fans that she remains committed to pop music, calling her venture into country music a fun experiment. During an appearance on a new episode of Today’s Country Radio With Kelleigh Bannen, Roan said of her new single, “I really just did it for fun. I’m not switching genres or anything. I wanted to write a country song because I just thought it would be funny. It’s campy and fun.” Roan, who recently took home the Grammy for Best New Artist, was raised in southwest Missouri on a mix of Christian and country music. She admits that she draws inspiration from artists like Lady Gaga as well as Big & Rich, infusing her love for multiple genres into her music. “I have kept country in my heart,” Roan says. “And it’s so incredibly nostalgic to drive in West Hollywood and [play] Jason Aldean or Alan Jackson’s ‘Chattahoochee.’” (Rolling Stone)
