{"id":209385,"date":"2024-08-26T16:57:48","date_gmt":"2024-08-26T15:57:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.musicbusinessworldwide.com\/?p=209385"},"modified":"2026-03-26T19:44:23","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T19:44:23","slug":"chappell-roan-is-everywhere-her-manager-says-her-fans-feel-part-of-her-success-not-separate-to-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.musicbusinessworldwide.com\/chappell-roan-is-everywhere-her-manager-says-her-fans-feel-part-of-her-success-not-separate-to-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Nick Bobetsky on Chappell Roan’s rise and why artistry is ‘a human matter \u2013 not a business matter’."},"content":{"rendered":"

MBW\u2019s World\u2019s Greatest Managers series profiles the best artist managers in the global business. Next up is Nick Bobetsky, manager of the biggest breakthrough artist of the past 12 months, Chappell Roan. World\u2019s Greatest Managers is supported by Centtrip<\/a>, a specialist in intelligent treasury, payments and foreign exchange \u2013 created with the music industry and its needs in mind.<\/p>\n

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Chappell Roan<\/strong> is one of those artists whose success isn\u2019t just discussed in terms of its scale \u2013 it\u2019s discussed in terms of its significance.<\/p>\n

People aren\u2019t only interested in what the hockey stick curve in streams and ticket sales makes ($$$$), they\u2019re interested in what it means<\/em>. There is much mention of \u2018the zeitgeist\u2019.<\/p>\n

Rolling Stone<\/em> recently called her The Future of Pop<\/strong>. Cynical old British (one-time) taste-making music mag the NME<\/em> was far more restrained, \u2018only\u2019 calling her \u201cthe most exciting new pop star in the world right now\u201d.<\/p>\n

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Some of these cuttings might well feature as motivational messages (aka warnings) on the walls of Atlantic Records<\/strong>, the label that dropped Roan in 2020.<\/p>\n

That turned out to be a pivotal moment in her career, but it only happened because she’d begun redefining her own artistic journey.<\/p>\n

Nick Bobetsky<\/strong>, who started managing Chappell shortly before the split, describes it as a time when she was \u201cexiting phase one\u201d of her growth.<\/p>\n

He continues: \u201cWhen an artist makes a real change like that, it can be hard for an existing partner to completely defer to the artist.<\/p>\n

“They should, we all should, but when you have certain expectations of an artist, and that artist pivots, not everyone can understand that change is important \u2013 and that\u2019s what happened with that relationship.<\/p>\n

“Don\u2019t get me wrong, it was hard for her to get dropped. But the reality was a focus on what to do next.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cIt’s difficult for everyone when an artist is still defining themselves \u2013 but it\u2019s important to remember that it\u2019s hardest for the artist. I think Atlantic really believed in her by the time that they parted ways, but I also know that she was ready, we were ready, to make that change. And ultimately Atlantic agreed that they weren\u2019t the right fit. Don\u2019t get me wrong, it was hard for her to get dropped. But [it led to] a focus on what to do next.\u201d<\/p>\n

And what she did next was pretty spectacular. Following a series of independently released singles, Roan signed a deal with Island<\/strong> via Amusement Records<\/strong>, the label founded by her long-term writing partner, Daniel Nigro<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Her debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess<\/em>, was released in September 2023, but only last week reached its peak position (so far) on the Billboard 200 chart at No. 2.<\/p>\n

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It\u2019s a similar slow-burn story in the UK where the record didn\u2019t chart until April this year (at 68) before hitting No.1 at the start of August.<\/p>\n

Its ascent was helped by a support slot on Olivia Rodrigo\u2019s<\/strong> Guts World tour; a standout, much-shared performance on The Tonight Show<\/em>; Good Luck Babe<\/em>, the first post-album single, currently in the Top 10 in the US and UK; and a Lollapalooza appearance in early August that organizers believe attracted a record crowd.<\/p>\n

Bobetsky<\/strong> recalls that he and his team were in tears after that show, reflecting on how far they\u2019ve come with their star client and, surely, awestruck by where this might lead.<\/p>\n

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Bobetsky began his career at soundtrack-specialist label Milan Records,<\/strong> but eventually realized that \u201cmy passion was to be as close to the artist as possible, connected to all aspects of their career \u2013 as much a partner as I could be. And that meant management.\u201d<\/p>\n

He left Milan and managed a couple of bands on his own before becoming part of Red Light Management\u2019s<\/strong> roster.<\/p>\n

In 2019 he moved on again, this time to join his friends Marc Jordan and Ian McEvily at Rebel One<\/strong> (now State of the Art<\/a>). Looking back on the switch, he says: \u201cFor me it was about really focusing on artists that were excited to scale to a level that has cultural relevance and impact. Marc in particular taught and encouraged me to think bigger, and to find artists who wanted to make big statements.\u201d<\/p>\n

Coincidentally, he had just met a client who would be a perfect match for this new philosophy\u2026<\/p>\n

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How did you first meet Chappell and what were your impressions?<\/h6>\n

Her then-label, Atlantic, sent me some music and said she had parted ways with her management. What I saw, straight away, was already a next-level talent, and a level of confidence, even at that stage of her career, that was truly remarkable.<\/p>\n

“She was still only 19, but it was clear to me that Chappell was going to be an artist that really mattered for a long time.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

She had a conviction about who she was that was unshakeable. She\u2019s wired in such a way that when you meet her, you realize, she\u2019s just got it. She was still only 19, but it was clear to me that Chappell was going to be an artist that really mattered for a long time.<\/p>\n

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Why do you think you two clicked?<\/h6>\n

What I will say is that she had gone through experiences that weren\u2019t advantageous to a young artist finding themselves.<\/p>\n

I am just generally really supportive in helping artists find their way, rather than shifting their direction according to my or anyone else’s agenda.<\/p>\n

I don’t pretend to ever know where it’s going to go [for any artist], I just support their personal and creative journey, and their artistry. I’d like to think that that’s what resonated with her, because I don’t think she had that.<\/p>\n

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Chappell was still with Atlantic when she signed up with you. So, how did that relationship come to an end and how did that change things?<\/h6>\n

She ended up making Pink Pony Club<\/em>, California<\/em> and Love Me Anyway<\/em> [all 2020], writing with Daniel Nigro at that time.<\/p>\n

By then, I think she was really clear in what she wanted Chappell Roan to be. And that was actually a pretty remarkable shift from her first era; that\u2019s what precipitated the parting of the ways.<\/p>\n

“there are two very different paths when an artist gets dropped: one is that they’re deflated and destroyed because they put so much weight on the fact that they were with a major label; the other is that they’re inspired by knowing that they now truly hold the reins… Chappell obviously took that second path.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Like any artist, there’s a level of self-doubt in a situation like that. But there are two very different paths when an artist gets dropped: one is that they’re deflated and destroyed because they put so much weight on the fact that they were with a major label; the other is that they’re inspired by knowing that they now truly hold the reins, there is no one telling them what they should or shouldn\u2019t do.<\/p>\n

Chappell obviously took that second path and thrived independently.<\/p>\n

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