Over a year after its live debut, Chappell Roan has officially released her fan-favourite ballad, ‘The Subway’.
Written with her longtime collaborator and producer Dan Nigro, the heart-wrenching — yet tender — track sees Roan run into an ex-girlfriend on the subway, where she’s flooded with memories of their passionate romance and painful breakup.
“It’s just another day, and it’s not over ‘til it’s over,” Roan sings on the chorus. “‘Til I can break routine during foreplay and trust myself that I won’t say your name. But I’m so counting down all the days, ‘til you’re just another girl on the subway.”
The track – which evokes the sounds of bands such as The Corrs and The Cranberries – culminates in a gut-punch of a vocal performance from Roan, as she repeats the aching refrain: “She’s got, she’s got a way / She’s got a way, she’s got a way / And she got, she got away / She got away, she got away.”
In the accompanying music video — Roan’s first since ‘Hot to Go!’ — the star appears with a mountain of her signature red hair as she trails her ex, whose eyes are veiled by a matching mass of green hair, into a subway scene that erupts into a sapphic, drag-fuelled dance party.
Other scenes show Roan-punzel completely engulfed in a sea of her own hair, draped dramatically over a fire escape, and entirely unfazed as a taxi drives off with her locks caught in the car door.
Following the release of ‘The Subway’, the Grammy winner spoke about how proud she is of the song and the journey it’s been on since its debut at the 2024 Governors Ball — “when I was painted green as Lady Liberty”.
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“Obviously not knowing this really chaotic year would follow the performance, it didn’t really leave me time to build the world the song deserved,” she explained.
“But finally we are here. I def ripped my hair out trying to figure out the puzzle of how this song should feel musically and visually and emotionally, luckily there are some to spare.”
Roan concluded: “Thank you for sticking it out for a whole year. It was worth it to make sure everything was absolutely right.”
‘The Subway’ is expected to appear on Roan’s upcoming sophomore album.
It marks her third release since her debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, following her breakout synth-pop smash ‘Good Luck, Babe!’ and the country-influenced anthem ‘The Giver’.
Watch the music video for ‘The Subway’ here or below.
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