Dennis Gaviola

Article (news)

Chappell Roan

<div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/woLfAvD5iXI?&amp;list=RDwoLfAvD5iXI&amp;start_radio=1autoplay=1&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><p>Chappell Roan has finally released her much-anticipated new single, &quot;The Subway,&quot; approximately 14 months after she first debuted the song live at the Governors Ball Music Festival in New York City. </p><p>A timeless classic in the making, &quot;The Subway&quot; is a triumph in songwriting, is fantastically performed, and finds Roan at her most vulnerable.</p><p>The aching pop-ballad perfectly encapsulates the fresh, lingering feeling of heartbreak. It&#x27;s about how memories of a former romantic partner can resurface and haunt in the most ordinary places — in this case, a subway station. Thanks largely to Roan and Daniel Nigro&#x27;s songwriting, the song leaves a lasting mark by painting vivid imagery that evokes a strong emotional response. Anyone who&#x27;s had their heart broken can totally relate.</p><p>Roan delivers the verses with such understatement; the melody flows beautifully but almost nonchalantly. Come the chorus, the atmosphere of the song becomes dreamy, with the production layering it with reverb and angelic background vocals. It&#x27;s also worth noting that Roan appears to have stylized her singing with some Alanis Morissette-esque inflections in the chorus.</p><p>Speaking of Morissette, the song is very &#x27;90s/early aughts, very nostalgically appealing for a millennial like myself who listens to the Canadian singer, The Cranberries, and Tori Amos. At first listen, I immediately noticed that the song is reminiscent of some of the work of these musical acts. </p><p>In a verse post-chorus, Roan drops the nonchalant act upon singing, &quot;I made a promise if in four months this feeling ain&#x27;t gone, well, f**k this city, I&#x27;m moving to Saskatchewan.&quot; This portion of the song&#x27;s lyrics has been going viral online since the release of this music video teaser, which shows a truck license plate and a billboard spelling out the name of the Canadian city where Roan dares to move if her heartbreak persists. This is one of the song&#x27;s highlights: rhyming &quot;gone&quot; with &quot;Saskatchewan&quot; is an interesting creative choice... and, dare I say, educational? I didn&#x27;t know the city&#x27;s existence beforehand. I guess I should thank the Midwest Princess for the Canada geography lesson. </p><p>The bridge is where this song truly reaches its peak — Roan cleverly interchanges &quot;she&#x27;s got away&quot; and &quot;she got away,&quot; delivering the lyrics with a vocal performance that is both raw and explosive. Roan belts the aforementioned lyrics, raising the key as she repeats them a couple more times, effectively making me empathize with her pain and yearning. At the same time, this part also makes me feel like I&#x27;m ascending, in awe of her masterful vocal performance. It&#x27;s so affecting that it easily rivals &quot;driver&#x27;s license&quot; for having the best bridge of the decade. </p><p>If I have one note: I wish the outro could have closed in a more understated manner. The song ends with Roan&#x27;s full-throttle, yodel-ish belting. After a highly emotional, sonically loud (but brilliant) bridge, the impact of the story being told could&#x27;ve been more haunting had it ended the way it started: quiet, subtle. Such a version fortunately exists in fan-uploaded online recordings of Roan&#x27;s live performances during her year-long festival run where she always ends the song in a whimper.</p><p>Fans of Roan are yet again spoiled with another song that is equally strong in lyricism and vocal performance. Ironically, the nostalgic vibe of &quot;The Subway&quot; and and its four-minute runtime, which is considered lengthy for the TikTok generation, make it sound fresh compared to many current pop hits that sound rather rushed and uninspired.</p><div> </div><p>Reynaldo Pagsolingan Jr. is a music critic and former television drama researcher. This review was originally published in his column, “<a href="https://www.walphs.com/2025/08/song-review-chappell-roan-the-subway.html">The Reception</a>.”</p>

<p>A timeless classic in the making, 'The Subway' is a triumph in songwriting, is fantastically performed, and finds Roan at her most vulnerable.</p>

A timeless classic in the making, 'The Subway' is a triumph in songwriting, is fantastically performed, and finds Roan at her most vulnerable.

Music review: Chappell Roan finally releases long-awaited ballad ‘The Subway’

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

BINI

Sudoku

Word of the Day

Lotto

Horoscope

Music

Music review: Chappell Roan finally releases long-awaited ballad ‘The Subway’

Reynaldo Pagsolingan Jr.

Published August 04, 2025 08:20 PM PHT

Read More:

Chappell Roan

The Subway

music review

ABSnews

ABS-CBN Newsletter

Your go-to source for the latest news, entertainment highlights, exclusive interviews, and updates on your favorite Kapamilya stars.

ABS-CBN Newsletter

Your go-to source for the latest news, entertainment highlights, exclusive interviews, and updates on your favorite Kapamilya stars.

Sign Up

I have read and agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy.

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.