Chappell Roan didn’t just win a Grammy: she used that stage as a platform to call out industry abuse and demand a living wage for artists. And she did it in an enormous hat. There is a call to action for just this kind of change inside the USA – one that’s relevant advocacy worldwide.

Here’s that portion of her acceptance speech:

I told myself if I ever 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 and health care, especially to developing artists.

Because I got signed so young, I got signed as a minor, and when I got dropped, I had zero job experience under my belt, and like most people, I had a difficult time finding a job in the pandemic and could not afford health insurance. It was so devastating to feel so committed to my art and feel so betrayed by the system and so dehumanized to not have health[care]. And if my label would have prioritized artist health, I could have been provided care by a company I was giving everything to.

So record labels need to treat their artists as valuable employees with a livable wage and health insurance and protection. Labels, we got you, but do you got us?

This doesn’t just have to be a fairy tale promise. There is activism in the USA to try to demand that in the home of the world’s largest industry players – and every chance to connect that struggle to other struggles worldwide.

The United Musicians & Allied Workers (UMAW) chimed in to echo Chappell’s message:

Cappell Roan is completely correct! Musicians are workers, and we deserve fair payment & dignity in our workplace. UMAW introduced the Living Wage for Musicians Act with Rep. Rashida Tlaib to build a fairer music industry and increase wages for musicians. We need your help to make it happen!

All workers of the world deserve fair pay and dignity! Musicians and music workers, join UMAW today and help us build a fairer and more just music industry.

More on their efforts – you can sign on, as they’re nearly up to their 25,000-person goal:

https://weareumaw.org/make-streaming-pay

It should also not be lost on us that the two co-sponsors, Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Jamaal Bowman, were also two of the most vocal in Washington talking about Palestinian humanity. It’s the same story today as every day: connect the struggles.

And while the current political climate may not seem optimal for achieving this goal, I’d also say: look how much the majority is behind this idea. Keep pushing.

In case it wasn’t clear that this is the kind of hero we need right now, Chappell also rode in on an enormous pink pony. Let’s hope we can all have that kind of energy with us.

Music need labor rights. And labor would have gotten nowhere without music (some great lyrics if you listen in on the verses here):

Ha, also, about that melody – uh – interesting story.