Cue “Anytime You Need a Friend.” Mariah Carey was asked to give advice to younger artists like Chappell Roan, the “Good Luck, Babe!” singer who’s been grappling with the negative side of a sudden ascent into celebrity. The pop legend didn’t hesitate to commiserate and share what she’s learned.
Roan has been all over newsfeeds after drawing criticism for not endorsing a candidate in the 2024 election, and then canceling two festival performances in order to prioritize her health while things “have gotten overwhelming”; she also was the subject of the most talked-about SNL sketch last weekend. She continues to top charts with her The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess album.
The Associated Press turned to Carey for comment on adjusting to fame, from the perspective of someone who’s been through it.
Carey didn’t address Roan specifically, but was kind enough to give general guidance to the new generation of pop stars in her response.
“Well, I have been through my share of dramas,” Carey said to the AP. “And it’s not fun because you grow up thinking, ‘I want to be famous.’”
She continued, “I mean, really with me, it was always, ‘I want to be a singer. I want to write songs.’”
“But ‘I want to be famous’ was right there with it,” admitted Carey. “I feel like it was probably because I didn’t feel like I was good enough on my own because of the things I went through growing up. And that’s not a good way to feel, you know?”
“My advice would be try your hardest to go into this industry with a love of your talent or what’s really real for you,” said Carey.
“You know, if it’s like, ‘I want to be famous. I want to run around with those people, whoever they are, the famous people,’ then it’s probably not the best idea,” she added.
Chappell does seem to focus on her love for art and performance. But she’s made it known she finds some parts of fame unbearable, particularly the behavior of “superfans” who lack boundaries.
“I chose this career path because because I love music and art and honoring my inner child,” she said to in August. “I do not accept harassment of any kind because I chose this path, nor do I deserve it.”
She asked fans to “please stop touching me. Please stop being weird to my family and friends. Please stop assuming things about me. There is always more to the story. I am scared and tired.”
Roan returned to the road for the remainder of The Midwest Princess Tour following last weekend’s show cancelations. She’s scheduled to wrap the tour in Austin this week.