The world is still trying to catch its breath after the year Chappell Roan just had. Seriously. If you’ve been anywhere near a speaker or a festival stage in the last eighteen months, you know the vibe. But now that we’ve hit 2026, the conversation has shifted. Everyone is asking the same thing: when are we getting the next Chappell Roan new song, and what’s actually going on with that second album?
Honestly, the answer isn’t what most people want to hear, but it’s incredibly on-brand for Kayleigh Rose Amstutz.
She’s not a machine. She’s not a pop-star-in-a-box designed to churn out a hit every three months just to satisfy an algorithm. After the absolute whirlwind of 2024 and 2025—which she recently described in her New Year’s Eve newsletter as the "hardest year of my life yet"—she’s leaning into what she calls a "restful reset."
The Subway and the Slow Burn of 2025
Before we look at what's coming next, we have to talk about how we got here. Most fans are still spinning The Subway, which officially dropped back in late July 2025.
It felt like we waited forever for that one. She debuted it live at Gov Ball way back in 2024, and it became this mythic, unreleased anthem that people were recording on their phones just to have a piece of it. When the studio version finally arrived, co-written with her longtime collaborator Dan Nigro, it was everything—dramatic, heartbreaking, and deeply theatrical.
But then something interesting happened. Instead of a "Subway" mania leading directly into an album announcement, Chappell did the opposite. She pulled back.
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She told Vogue flat out that "the second project doesn’t exist yet." That might sound wild given her momentum, but she’s been very clear about her process. It took her five years to build The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. She’s already warned us that the next one might take just as long. She basically told the internet to stop looking for her in the studio 24/7 because forcing the art just makes for bad music.
Breaking Down "The Giver"
Wait, we can't forget The Giver.
Released in March 2025, that track was a massive pivot. It was her "country" moment, though still draped in that signature queer-pop camp.
- It featured five limited-edition 7-inch vinyl variants.
- The artwork had her dressed as a plumber, a construction worker, and a lawyer.
- It proved she could step outside the "synth-pop" box and still command a crowd.
Why There Isn't a New Album in 2026
If you’re scouring Spotify today looking for a surprise LP, you’re going to be disappointed. Chappell has been very vocal about the toll that fame took on her mental health. In early 2026, she’s focusing on things that have nothing to do with charts.
She's learning Spanish.
She’s reading books.
She's actually living.
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In her recent reflections, she admitted that "doom scrolling" made her brain feel "actually unwell." She even almost canceled the entire North American leg of her 2025 tour because she wasn't sure she was mentally healthy enough to handle it. So, for 2026, her "new song" isn't a track—it's a boundary.
The Laneway Tease: What’s Next for the Setlist?
Even though she’s on a "restful reset," Chappell isn’t totally gone. As of January 2026, she’s gearing up for the Laneway Festival tour across New Zealand and Australia.
She’s been teasing fans on Instagram, specifically mentioning that "Casual" will be a cornerstone of her festival sets. It’s funny because "Casual" was an indie release from 2022 that only really blew up after the album took off. It shows she’s still deeply connected to her roots, even as she headlines massive stages for 200,000 people.
One really cool thing she’s doing for the 2026 tour? The Midwest Princess Project. She’s donating $1 from every ticket to organizations like Transcend Australia and Transgender Victoria. She’s using this "gap year" to turn her success into actual, tangible community support.
What Most People Get Wrong About Her "Hiatus"
There’s this misconception that if an artist isn't releasing a single every six weeks, they’re "flopping" or losing interest. That’s just not how Chappell operates.
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- The Writing Process: She’s a "slow-burn" creator. She writes from life experience, and you can’t have life experience if you’re trapped in a tour bus or a recording booth 365 days a year.
- The Burnout Factor: She’s spoken openly about her Bipolar II diagnosis and how the "predatory behavior" of some superfans made her want to quit entirely. This 2026 reset is her way of making sure she doesn't quit.
- The Collaborations: While she hasn't dropped a solo track in early 2026, the world of covers is keeping her name alive. Just this week, the metal legends GWAR released a thrash-metal cover of "Pink Pony Club" for AV Undercover. It’s glorious chaos and proves her songs have officially entered the cultural canon.
Actionable Steps for the "Midwest Princess" Fandom
If you’re a fan itching for new music, the best thing you can do right now is respect the pace. Chappell has built a career on being authentic, and part of that authenticity is knowing when to say "no."
How to stay updated without the "doom scroll":
- Sign up for her newsletter: This is where she’s getting vulnerable and sharing the real updates, like the displacement from the LA wildfires or her struggle with songwriting blocks.
- Track the 2026 Tour: If you’re in the Southern Hemisphere, the Laneway Festival and Lollapalooza dates in Argentina, Chile, and Brazil are your best bet to hear those "Subway" and "Giver" tracks live.
- Support the Project: Check out the Midwest Princess Project to see how you can get involved in the local LGBTQ+ charities she’s championing.
The next Chappell Roan new song will happen. It just won't happen because a label executive demanded it. It’ll happen because she finally found the right words to describe a feeling she had while reading a book in France or volunteering in her local community. And honestly? That's going to make the song so much better when it finally arrives.
Until then, we’ve still got "The Subway" on repeat, and maybe, just maybe, we should all take a page out of her book and try a "restful reset" of our own.
To keep up with her latest live performances, you can monitor her official tour page for any surprise 2026 pop-up dates or festival additions beyond the South American leg. Supporting the local drag scenes she often highlights during her shows is another great way to stay connected to the community she’s built while she takes her creative break.