A 2-year-old Chappell Roan superfan has melted hearts on social media after her mom captured the moment she met her idol.
In May, Juliet Wasson, 2, dubbed “baby Chappell Roan,” started listening to the pop star when her mom, Kelsey Wasson (@kelseyjowasson), 29, began playing the singer’s The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess album in the car.
“One day, I put on the ‘Hot to Go’ music video while I was doing her hair. She started pointing to the TV saying, ‘Look! Look!’ Then, ‘Chappell Roan has the same hair as me!’ It became an obsession from there,” Wasson, a controlled substance compliance coordinator, from Kentucky, told Newsweek.
Kelsey Wasson/Kelsey Wasson
“We just so happened to live an hour from where Chappell would be performing a few weeks later, at Kentuckiana Pride, so we got tickets ASAP,” she continued.
Chappell Roan’s recent meteoric rise to fame is a testament to her unapologetic embrace of her identity and artistry, establishing her as a queer icon and an inspiration to little girls, such as Juliet.
The mom and daughter prepared Juliet’s Chappell Roan outfit, and they found a pink sequin onesie, some crib cowboy boots and a pink cowboy hat.
“As soon as the costume was in, she put it on and didn’t take it off all day,” Wasson said. “That first day, she completely embodied Chappell’s personality. She no longer responded to Juliet, but insisted her name was Chappell Roan.”
The moment little Chappell Roan met big Chappell Roan went viral on TikTok, garnering more than 2 million likes and 8.6 million views.
“The day we met her still feels like a dream. Her team upgraded our whole group to VIP, and we got to go backstage right before the show,” Wasson said.
Kelsey Wasson/Kelsey Wasson
Juliet was initially shy and did not immediately recognize Chappell Roan in her signature drag makeup. But as soon as the singer introduced herself, Juliet’s eyes lit up, and she said, “CHAPPELL ROAN?!” before telling her idol, “I love you.”
The video montage shows Juliet enjoying the concert perched on her dad’s shoulders, clapping along to the music and even performing the dance to “Hot to Go”—a catchy anthem that has become Juliet’s favorite song.
Wasson said of the encounter: “I think Chappell is a wonderful role model. Juliet is still too young to understand the gravity of Chappell’s hard work, but I see it. It took her more than 10 years to find success in the music industry.
“She hit so many lows on that journey and still persevered. She’s such a kind, humble person, even now on her rise to be one of the most famous pop stars in the world.”
While the singer’s lyrics can be adult-oriented and explicit, Wasson said Juliet mainly focuses on the catchy beats and playful elements. She praised the star’s innuendos.
“For instance, in her song ‘Red Wine Supernova,’ she references a wand and a rabbit,” Wasson said. “Juliet only hears a song about a magic wand and a bunny rabbit. To her, ‘Pink Pony Club‘ is about a pink horse.”
She added: “‘Hot to Go’ has taught her to spell. She also loves repeating the chant at the end of ‘Femininomenon,’ where Chappell says: ‘But does it happen? NO!’ It’s super cute.
“When they’re young, they’re not listening for the lyrics. They’re listening for the beat and the music.”
TikTokers were equally captivated by the moment, with fans and even the official Spotify account commenting on the encounter. “CRYING. Baby Chappell Roan met grown Chappell Roan,” the music streaming service wrote.
“Omg I’m so happy tall Chappell Roan was able to meet small Chappell Roan,” another user added.
One commenter said, “She’s gonna tell all her friends about this when she’s older oh my goodness.”
