Chappell Roan Reveals Why Seeing Freddie Mercury Biopic Bohemian Rhapsody ‘Changed My Career’

Rising pop star Chappell Roan owes a lot to Freddie Mercury, specifically Rami Malek’s performance as the Queen frontman in the 2018 biopic Bohemian Rhapsody.

At the Grammy Museum on Thursday, Nov. 7, the night before the Grammy nominee list was published, Roan sat down for a chat with songwriter Daniel Nigro moderated by Brandi Carlile.

In the extensive conversation, Roan said Bohemian Rhapsody helped inspire her “hardcore” switch “into pop.” “That scene, whenever they’re performing Live Aid and they’re performing ‘Radio Ga Ga’ and they’re doing that part, [thumping]? That changed my career. It pivoted and I was like, ‘I will do whatever it takes.’ ”

The scene Roan, 26, refers to recreated Queen’s iconic 1985 Live Aid performance, where Mercury guides the crowd in synchronized clapping.

Carlile asked if Roan connected her queerness to the movie, to which she replied, “I wasn’t there yet.”

“I think it was like I just would do anything to feel that way in a crowd. I just thought to myself, ‘How do I do something that I can look out and have everyone do the same thing like that?’ It was so powerful to just be like, to all do the same movement,” she explained.

Roan’s setlist staple “HOT TO GO!” does something similar, with audience members spelling out the song’s title in the same vein as The Village People’s “YMCA.” Nigro also pointed to “Femininomenon,” which has a call-and-response in the bridge.

“You started playing shows, then you were seeing how people were responding to that,” Nigro said. “I think that was also a moment of, oh, we can push it even further.”

The “Pink Pony Club” singer agreed, saying, “It was like I knew the whole time I just wanted to write songs that would be amazing live to interact with the audience.”

She also credited the success of The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess to her acclaimed live shows.

“I genuinely think that’s why this project has just caught on fire this year because it is been my year of performing live, like every festival, at so many tours,” Roan said. “We’ve done 83 shows this year. It’s no joke. I think that’s why it’s like these songs were never meant to only be, I dunno, hidden on an album somewhere.”

On Friday, Nov. 8, Roan received nominations at the 2025 Grammy Awards for record of the year (“Good Luck Babe!”), album of the year (The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess), best new artist, best pop solo performance (“Good Luck, Babe!”) and best pop vocal album.