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Singer Chappell Roan and ex-music executive Jeff Rabhan now seem to be at loggerheads. It goes back to the singer’s Grammy acceptance speech for Best New Artist on February 3, 2024, in which she highlighted the lack of health insurance facilities from record labels.
In her speech, she thanked everyone who helped her in her journey. However, she pointed out:
“I told myself if I ever won a Grammy and I got to stand up here in front of the most powerful people in music, I would demand that labels in the industry profiting millions of dollars off of artists would offer a livable wage in healthcare especially to developing artists.”
However, Jeff Rabhan, in a guest column published in The Hollywood Reporter, raised a few questions saying:
“It seems Chappell Roan wants to turn labels into landlords, bosses and insurance providers? Have you ever tried to get your expenses reimbursed from a major label? Yet somehow you want them in charge of health-care claims? As if labels want next year’s winner to shout them down as “slumlords” in front of 60 million viewers?”
Jeff Rabhan acknowledged Roan’s passion and artistic talent but argued that she lacks the experience and knowledge to drive real change in the music industry. While her Grammy speech called for record labels to provide artists with fair wages and health care, he viewed her message as idealistic and uninformed.
Rabhan emphasized that record labels operate as businesses, not charities, and that their financial support is an investment rather than a salary.
Chappell Roan responds to Jeff Rabhan’s claims in her Instagram stories
In her acceptance speech, Chappell Roan shared that being signed as a minor left her with no job experience when she was later dropped by the label. Struggling to find work during the pandemic, she couldn’t afford health insurance, which made her feel abandoned by the industry and stripped of basic support.
She urged record labels to treat their artists as valuable employees, providing financial security and health insurance. Chappell Roan took to her Instagram stories on February 7, 2025, sharing screenshots of Jeff Rabhan’s article. In her first story, she wrote:
“@jeffrabhan wanna match me $25k to donate to struggling dropped artists? My publicist is @biz3publicity let’s talk.”
In the next story, she wrote:
“Will keep Everyone updated on the much awaited @jeffrabhan response!! And I will show receipts of the donations <3 Mr. Rabhan I love how in the article you said "put your money where your mouth is" Genius !!! Let's link and build together and see if you can do the same”
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In his piece, Jeff Rabhan explained that when artists sign record deals, they receive an advance that covers costs like recording, marketing, and touring. Labels take on significant financial risk, with only a small percentage of artists generating enough profit to sustain the industry.
Instead of just speaking out, Rabhan suggested Chappell Roan take tangible steps to support struggling artists, such as creating a foundation, offering mentorship programs, and investing in new compensation models, rather than expecting record labels to change overnight.
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