Chappell Roan blasted by record executive after demanding artists earn a 'living wage'
- Roan, 26, called out the music industry in a fiery speech at the Grammys
- Record executive Jeff Rabhan has now called the singer 'wildly misinformed'
- READ MORE: Chappell Roan stuns in yellow dress at Grammy Awards
Chappell Roan has been slammed by a leading music industry executive after demanding that record labels pay artists a 'living wage' at last Sunday's Grammys.
While accepting the gong for Best New Artist, the Pink Pony Club hitmaker, 26, called on record labels to improve their treatment of artists by 'paying their healthcare and a liveable wage,' earning a sea of praise from fans on social media.
But not everybody was a fan of her speech, with record executive Jeff Rabhan blasting the songstress in a scathing op-ed for The Hollywood Reporter.
In the damning piece, Rabhan said Roan's impassioned speech was a 'hackneyed and plagiarized script of an artist basking in industry love while broadcasting naïveté and taking aim at the very machine that got her there.'
He continued, 'If labels are responsible for artists' wages, health care and overall well-being, where does it end and personal responsibility begin? Should Chris Blackwell put a mint on her pillow and tuck her in at night, too?'
'There is no moral or ethical obligation by any standard that hold labels responsible for the allocation of additional funds beyond advances and royalties.'
Rabhan called Roan's demand for artists to be paid a living wage 'noble' yet 'wildly misinformed.'
'Demanding that labels pay artists like salaried employees ignores the fundamental economic structure of the business,' he wrote.
Chappell Roan has been slammed by a leading music industry executive after demanding that record labels pay artists a 'living wage' at last Sunday's Grammys
Record executive Jeff Rabhan (pictured with Clive Davis) blasted Roan in a scathing op-ed for The Hollywood Reporter, calling her 'wildly misinformed'
'No one is forcing artists to sign deals. For the one-millionth time — if they don't like the terms, they can stay independent, own their masters and take the financial risk themselves.'
DailyMail.com has contacted Roan for comment.
Rabhan's critique of the flame-haired singer has already drawn backlash online, including from fellow pop star Halsey, who blasted him on Instagram.
In a lengthy post, Halsey called Rabhan's op-ed a 'ranting, seething tantrum.'
During Roan's Grammys acceptance speech, she began by thanking her family, friends and management team, before detailing the struggles she faced when she was dropped by her first record label at a young age.
She admitted that she felt 'dehumanised' following her treatment by her first label, and called on labels to offer better 'protection' to their clients by paying them a decent wage and health insurance.
Roan said: 'I told myself that if I ever won a Grammy and got to stand up here before 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 and health care, especially developing artists.
'As I got signed so young, I got signed as a minor. When I got dropped, I had zero job experience under my belt, and like most people, I had… quite a difficult time finding a job in the pandemic and [could not] afford insurance.'
While accepting the gong for Best New Artist, the Pink Pony Club hitmaker, 26, called on record labels to improve their treatment of artists by 'paying their healthcare and a liveable wage'
Rabhan's critique of Roan has already drawn backlash online, including from fellow pop star Halsey, who blasted him on Instagram in a brutal post
'It was devastating to feel so committed to my art and feel so betrayed by the system and dehumanized.
'If my label had prioritized it, I could have been provided care for a company I was giving everything to.
'Record labels need to treat their artists as valuable employees with a livable wage and health insurance and protection.'
Chappell ended her speech by declaring: 'Labels, we got you, but do you got us?' earning a huge cheer from the crowd at the Crypto.com Arena.
Her comments also earned praise from fans on social media, with one in particular saying: 'What an iconic moment! Chappell Roan not only claimed her Grammy but used her platform to speak up for artists' rights.
'Powerful words - hopefully, it sparks real change!'
Other posts included: 'THIS IS SO F*****G BOLD AND HONOURABLE! Seeing those artists in the crowd standing up in agreement is so amazing HELLO (also very brave of her considering acts like this could get her black-listed).
'No choice but to stan this fearless diva.'
