You know that feeling when you find a song that perfectly captures your deepest, messiest insecurities, and then you realize it’s basically the "forgotten" track of your favorite artist? That is exactly the situation with Chappell Roan Love Me Anyway.
Before she was the "Midwest Princess" selling out festivals in a Statue of Liberty costume, Chappell Roan was navigating the brutal world of major label politics. This track, released back in May 2020, sits at a weird crossroads in her career. It’s not quite the dark, moody pop of her School Nights era, but it’s also not the high-energy, campy synth-pop that made her a household name in 2024.
Honestly, it’s a bit of a miracle the song exists on streaming at all.
What Actually Happened with Chappell Roan Love Me Anyway?
If you're a new fan who joined the cult of Chappell during the "Good Luck, Babe!" explosion, you might be surprised to learn that she was actually dropped by her first label, Atlantic Records. Chappell Roan Love Me Anyway was released right around that chaotic transition. It was produced by Dan Nigro—yes, the same guy who worked on Olivia Rodrigo’s SOUR and basically every other Chappell hit—but it feels different.
It’s a power ballad, plain and simple.
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There’s no "HOT TO GO!" choreography here. Instead, you get raw, soaring vocals that lean into the "cursive singing" style that was huge in the late 2010s, but with a depth that only Kayleigh Rose Amstutz can pull off. The lyrics are a vulnerable plea to a partner: "I love you because you hide those Polaroids of me inside your nightstand." It’s intimate. It’s a little desperate. It’s incredibly human.
The Great Album Debate: Why Wasn't It on "Midwest Princess"?
Fans have been arguing about this on Reddit for years. Why didn't this song make the cut for The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess? Some think it’s because the song is about a high school relationship (reportedly inspired by a crush at summer camp), which doesn't quite fit the "finding my queer identity in LA" narrative of the debut album.
Others think it’s a sonic thing.
The album is very theatrical. Chappell Roan Love Me Anyway is more of a traditional pop-rock ballad. While songs like "Kaleidoscope" show off her slower side on the record, "Love Me Anyway" has this massive, crashing chorus that almost feels like a different universe. Chappell herself has mentioned in interviews that she consciously shifted her style to be more upbeat and "fun" because she was tired of being the sad girl at the piano.
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Why This Track Still Hits in 2026
Even though she’s moved on to bigger things—like her 2025 singles "The Giver" and "The Subway"—this old track hasn't lost its spark. If anything, it’s become a secret handshake for the "Day One" fans. When she performs it live (which is rare these days, though she did play it at some 2022 and 2023 shows), the room goes dead silent.
It represents the "transitional Chappell."
You can hear her finding her voice. You can hear the influence of artists like Lorde and Lana Del Rey, but you can also hear that specific "Chappell" belt that eventually became her trademark. It’s a song for people who feel like they’re "too much" to love. In a world of over-polished pop, that kind of honesty is why people are still Googling this track six years after it dropped.
A Quick Look at the Production Credits
If you're a nerd for the details, the credits for this song are a "who's who" of the team that would eventually conquer the charts:
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- Producer: Dan Nigro (the mastermind behind the Chappell sound).
- Mixing: Mitch McCarthy (who also mixed Guts and Midwest Princess).
- Mastering: Randy Merrill (the guy who masters for Taylor Swift and Adele).
It’s wild to think that this "indie" sounding track had such heavy hitters behind it. It just goes to show that the talent was always there; the world just needed a second to catch up.
The Actionable Insight for Fans
If you've only been listening to the hits, you are doing yourself a disservice by skipping the 2020 singles. Music is more than just the current TikTok trend.
Here is how to truly appreciate this era of Chappell:
- Listen Chronologically: Play "Pink Pony Club" (April 2020), then "Love Me Anyway" (May 2020), then "California" (May 2020). This "triple drop" was supposed to be her big breakout, and hearing them together shows the emotional range she was working with while her life was effectively falling apart behind the scenes.
- Watch the Lyric Video: There isn't a high-budget music video for this one, but the official lyric video on YouTube has a nostalgic, DIY feel that captures the era perfectly.
- Check out "The Subway": If you love the ballad side of Chappell found in this track, her 2025 single "The Subway" is the spiritual successor. It’s got that same "walking through the city with a broken heart" vibe, but with the upgraded production value of her newer work.
The reality is that Chappell Roan Love Me Anyway might never be a #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, but it doesn't need to be. It’s the song you play at 2 AM when you’re wondering if you’re enough. And for a lot of us, that’s more important than a Grammy anyway.