Chappell Roan’s “The Giver” Headed to Country Radio

Chappell Roan’s new song “The Giver” is officially being serviced to country radio, a rep for Universal Music Group Nashville has confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter.

UMG Nashville is working the song on behalf of fellow UMG label Island Records, Roan’s official label. As of Tuesday, the song had early spins at several country stations, including KDFI in Wichita, Kansas, WZZK in Birmingham, Alabama, and, not surprisingly, KTTS in Springfield, Missouri, according to Mediabase. It’s still being outpaced by the Top 40 format, where “The Giver” had double the exposure on stations like Omaha’s KQCH, Knoxville’s WWST and Springfield’s own KSPW Power 95.5. SiriusXM’s Hits 1 also join the list of early believers.

The country radio play further affirms Roan’s team’s efforts at pushing the song in the more traditional country market. The song is classified as a country song on streaming services, placed in Spotify’s Hot Country playlist as well as in Apple Music’s Today’s Country playlist.

“The Giver” is the latest in a notable trend the past several years of pop acts delving into country. Beyoncé, became the first Black woman with a number one country song for “Texas Hold ‘Em,” while Cowboy Carter won Grammys for best country album and album of the year back in February. Post Malone enjoyed a smash year with his country album F-1 Trillionwhich went platinum last year, while “I Had Some Help” with Morgan Wallen was one of the biggest songs of the year.

Meanwhile, the coastal record labels in New York and L.A. are going country too. Zach Bryan, for example, has become one of the biggest country acts in the industry while signed to Los Angeles-based Warner Records. Since then, the label also signed rising country-pop act Dasha, whose single “Austin” went viral on TikTok and hit the top 20 on the Hot 100. Country rockers Red Clay Strays joined the RCA roster last year, while country icon Miranda Lambert traded Sony Nashville for Republic.

Roan treated Apple Music audiences to an expansive interview last week, sharing with host Kelleigh Bannen the origin of “The Giver” and touching on her love of country music dating back to her childhood in Missouri.

“I think I have a special relationship to where I’m from because of country music,” Roan said. “And so to honor that part of myself by making a country song where it’s like, ‘Yes I’m gay, and yes I’m ultra pop, and yes I’m a drag queen,’ — that can also be someone who can perform a country song.”