Chappell Roan, the rising pop sensation and Grammy Award winner behind ‘The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess’, is making it clear: fans may be waiting a long time for her second studio album.
Despite releasing two new singles in 2025—The Giver and The Subway—Roan has revealed that her sophomore record is still a distant dream.
“The second project doesn’t exist yet,” she told Vogue in a candid new interview. “There is no album. There is no collection of songs.”
Five Years in the Making — Again
Roan’s breakout journey began in 2020 with the viral single Pink Pony Club, which led to her critically acclaimed debut album in 2023. But just as that album took five years to craft, Roan expects the same timeline for its follow-up.
“It took me five years to write the first one, and it’s probably going to take at least five to write the next. I’m not that type of writer that can pump it out,” she said.
For Roan, quality comes before speed. She refuses to rush the creative process, even with fans impatiently waiting.
Why Chappell Roan Won’t Rush Her Music
The Missouri-born artist admits she works best without the pressure of constant production schedules.
“I don’t think I make good music whenever I force myself to do anything,” she explained. “Even if I was in the studio 12 hours a day, every single day, that does not mean that you would get an album any faster.”
She also addressed the online chatter about her priorities. “I see some comments sometimes, like, ‘She’s everywhere except that damn studio.’ But that’s not how it works for me creatively.”
Inside the Making of ‘The Subway’
One of her latest singles, The Subway, dives deep into the emotional adrenaline rush of unexpectedly seeing an ex. “I was having a hard time getting over this one person,” Roan said while preparing for a photoshoot.
“When I was writing, I was constantly trying to tell myself, ‘We’re done, we’re done, we’re done’ — but the feelings were still there.”
The track, co-written with producer Daniel Nigro, was a labor of love that took a frustratingly long time to perfect. Roan even compared it to her earlier hit Casual, both in theme and production challenges.
Fan Theories and Album Speculation
The enormous success of The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess has sparked plenty of theories about what Roan’s second album could look like.
Fans have pointed to her fascination with dragons, knights, and medieval imagery, as well as hidden clues in the lyric video for The Giver, which shows a DVD menu featuring mysterious track titles like “To Be Yours” and “Read & Make Out.”
Roan, however, is shutting down the speculation. “The second project doesn’t exist yet,” she reiterated. “The album process is purely, only mine. No one on TikTok gets to see it.”
Stepping Away From Social Media
Another big change this time around? Roan is intentionally distancing herself from social media while she works. “Socials harm the fuck out of me and my art,” she admitted.
She now logs onto Instagram only to post, then deletes the app immediately afterward.
This will mark the first time she creates an album without constant online feedback — something she finds freeing. “I’ve never written an album where I don’t have Instagram or anything. I’m excited to see how it develops without that influence.”
The Long Road Ahead
For fans eager for new music, Roan’s message is simple: it’s going to take time. With her perfectionist approach and commitment to protecting her artistic vision, she’s prepared to let the next chapter unfold slowly — just as she did with her debut.
