There’s nothing “Casual” about Chappell Roan’s latest on-stage surprise!
On Thursday, Oct. 3, the MTV VMA winner took her Midwest Princess Tour to Council Bluffs, Iowa, where she treated the crowd at Westfair Amphitheater to a setlist oddity — a full-on cover of Heart’s 1977 classic “Barracuda.”
The track came halfway through the 26-year-old pop star’s performance, in-between tracks “Picture You” and “Hot to Go,” per Setlist.fm. And while the song was unexpected, it appears Roan’s “Barracuda” performance was met with plenty of cheers, according to some fan-recorded footage of the song.
During the set, Roan wore a red leotard as her stage lit up in reds and yellows. She sang through the entire track with some instrumental assistance from her touring band, who held things down at one point with a brief guitar solo.
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While the “Barracuda” cover appears to be a fresh addition to the live show, Roan is no stranger to covering the classics. She’s previously released covers of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams,” Elton John’s “Your Song” and 4 Non Blondes’ “What’s Up?” to her official YouTube channel in 2020.
Beyond that, Roan has covered a few other hits on tour — including “Dreams” by The Cranberries and “Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga. Plus, her quick rise to stardom has inspired other singers to perform a few of her own songs, with names such as Kelly Clarkson, Laufey and Sabrina Carpenter all joining in on the “Femininomenon.”
Back in June, Carpenter unleashed her rendition of Roan’s “Good Luck, Babe!” for BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge. Two months later, Roan told Rolling Stone in a cover story that her fellow pop star has been supporting her during her journey. “We’re both going through something so f—ing hard,” Roan told the outlet. “[Carpenter] just feels like everything is flying, and she’s just barely hanging on.”
“It was just good to know someone else feels that way,” she added.
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Roan has quickly become a charting mainstay this year following the release of her album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess in September 2023, as well as some major festival performances over the summer. In late September, the singer-songwriter pulled out of two performances (All Things Go music festival in New York City and a gig in Columbia, Md.) as she cited a need to tend to her mental health.
“I apologize to people who have been waiting to see me in NYC & DC this weekend at All Things Go, but I am unable to perform. Things have gotten overwhelming over the past few weeks and I am really feeling it,” Roan wrote in her Instagram Stories at the time. “I feel pressures to prioritize a lot of things right now and I need a few days to prioritize my health. I want to be present when I perform and give the best shows possible. Thank you for understanding. Be back soon xox.”
Roan has since performed in Tennessee, Arkansas and Iowa — with her next performance set for Austin City Limits on Sunday, Oct. 6.
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