Chappell Roan’s new song lyric ‘Moving to Saskatchewan’ creates buzz for province

Chappell Roan’s new single, “The Subway,” is creating quite the buzz in Saskatchewan.

In the single released Thursday night, the American pop star sings about moving to Saskatchewan if she can’t get over a breakup.

“We are absolutely thrilled to get a shout-out from such a talented and well-known artist,” said Amy McInnis, vice-president of marketing and communications at Tourism Saskatchewan.

The search terms “moving to Saskatchewan” are showing up worldwide, according to McInnis.

In the days leading up to the single’s release, Tourism Saskatchewan had more than 230 new social media mentions and nearly 40,000 new social media interactions.

“That’s a lot of people thinking about Saskatchewan,” McInnis said. “We don’t know if it’s going to translate into more visitation, but anything that brings more profile and attention to the province is always a good thing.”

The tourism sector is hoping to capitalize on Roan’s music. The group launched a new marketing campaign that helps tourists explore Saskatchewan based on their favourite Chappell Roan songs.

“We’ve rounded up five iconic Saskatchewan spots that radiate Midwest Princess energy and paired each one with the perfect Chappell track to complement their unique vibe,” according to a post on Tourism Saskatchewan’s Instagram page.

Roan’s fans in Saskatoon also think her new song could attract more visitors from around the world.

“I think it’s very good for tourism here, since most people don’t really think to visit Saskatchewan when they visit Canada,” said Saskatoon resident and Chappel Roan fan Radia Jannet.

Jannet said the province has a lot to offer for people trying to escape the city.

“It has a lower cost of living than the rest of Canada. It’s not too overcrowded and everyone here is really polite and kind,” she said.

Roan first performed The Subway live last summer. But the Saskatchewan lyrics gained traction late last month when Roan hired Regina production company Captive Media to create a teaser video for the official release.

The snippet shows a moving truck passing by canola fields and a “Welcome to Saskatchewan” sign.

“We really wanted to show off Saskatchewan and make sure that we find and get footage that we feel like represents our province,” said Captive Media content creator Jill Dukart.

Roan is an advocate for the LGBTQ2S+ community, and the queer singer has received a warm welcome from members of Saskatchewan’s queer community.

Nathaniel Teed is the province’s first openly gay member of the legislative assembly. He penned a letter to Roan’s team pitching a collaboration with the singer that “offers an unapologetic middle finger to bigotry.”

“We want to see queer and trans youth affirmed and supported in schools. And I think Chapell’s voice might be able to lend a little bit of weight behind that,” Teed told CTV News.

There is hope that the singer might take up the offer to at least visit Saskatchewan in the future.

In December, during an interview with celebrity journalist Nardwuar, Roan said she had been scoping out venues in the province.

“I owe it to them. I can’t sing a song about Saskatchewan and not go there and play a show,” she said.

There are no Canadian cities listed on Roan’s current tour schedule.