Wait, wait, wait, Chappell Roan is moving to Canada? Since when? Firstly, we’ve got to unpack where this jaw-dropping piece of music news is coming from. On August 1, the 27-year-old popstar dropped the official music video for her new single, “The Subway.” The song, littered with so much post-breakup symbolism, gives fans an insight into Chappell‘s heartbreak-blues as she navigates a New York City subway. Among the artistic vision in “The Subway,” Chappell also hints at a move to Canada amid her NYC breakup.
Chappell Roan’s Post-Breakup Escape to Canada
Why is the “Midwest Princess” packing her things and moving to Canada? What’s up with all the running and the five-foot long wigs in the music video? In a snippet of “The Subway,” the door of a taxi snags onto Chappell’s ultra long red hair. The taxi pulls the popstar, in a chic grey suit, along the NYC streets all while she recalls seeing flashes of her ex in the city. From her “green hair,” the “beauty mark next to [her] mouth,” or even the ex’s perfume, Chappell can’t seem to escape the little things that remind her of her heart-break blues. As she continues to be caught in the taxi, the American singer-songwriter’s desperate wish to escape from the reminders of her ex is in the lyrics of the new single:
“Made you the villain
Evil for just moving on
I see your shadow
I see it even with the lights off
I made a promise
If in four months this feeling ain’t gone
Well, f*** this city
I’m movin’ to Saskatchewan”
If I’m seeing my ex in every corner of my city, or catching a glimpse of them on the subway, best believe Chappell will see me packing my bags for Saskatchewan, Canada too. Her unexpected tease about moving to the Canadian city is not only a funny jab at her own situation, but symbolizes escapism (hence the running) in the music video. All in all, the “Midwest Princess” perfectly encompassed dealing with heartbreak, even while being caught in a taxi door.
Long Wigs and the Breakup Blues
So, what’s going on with the extremely long wigs? While they are uber-cute fashion statements in “The Subway,” fans have been speculating that the use of wigs, specifically hair, plays along with Chappell’s post-breakup symbolism. How so? In recent years, the saying “Hair holds memories,” has been used to reference how one’s own hair holds emotional significance as it is associated with a certain era of life. Throughout the music video, tufts of hair blow around NYC, in between people’s feet.
A popular fan theory is that the hair represents Chappell’s memories about the ex-relationship. Despite how hard she tries, the tufts of hair continue to follow her around the city. Toward the end of the song, Chappell showcases a freshly cut bob, which fans also theorized tied back to the lyrics’ underlying meaning. The change in hair is thought to be the end of the relationship. However, like all breakups, there are going to be tufts of hair floating around to remind you of your ex. A few plays of Chappell Roan’s “The Subway” might help with that.
What's Your Reaction?
