Chappell Roan nearly bared it all at the 2026 Grammys — but she doesn’t understand why the internet thinks it’s such a big deal.
“Giggling because I don’t even think this is THAT outrageous of an outfit,” the pop star, 27, wrote via Instagram on Monday, February 2, sharing several photos of her look. “The look’s actually so awesome and weird. I recommend just exercising your free will it’s really fun and silly :D.”
She added, “Thank you for having me @grammys and those who voted for me!!”
Roan stepped out at the Sunday, February 1, awards show in a custom Mugler gown that appeared to be held up by nipple rings. Her makeup artist later confirmed that the “Hot to Go!” singer was actually wearing prosthetic nipples, so the look wasn’t quite as naked as it initially seemed.
On the red carpet at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Roan covered up with a matching cape that hid her bare chest. Once inside, she changed into a second look by Rodarte that wasn’t quite so revealing as she presented this year’s trophy for Best New Artist.
Roan won her first Grammy last year, taking home the Best New Artist award after dominating the airwaves with her debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. This year, she was nominated for Record of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance for “The Subway.” She lost to Kendrick Lamar and SZA for “Luther” and Lola Young for “Messy,” respectively.
After Roan’s barely there look made waves on the red carpet, her makeup artist, Andrew Dahling, told Marie Claire that he and the singer were going for “medieval fantasy” with the outfit, which also included large faux tattoos on Roan’s back and chest.
“We started with this very archival, full, bare moment,” Dahling explained. “Once the tattoos came into play, everything became very medieval, but in a real way. It’s still fantasy and something otherworldly, but grounded.”
While Roan has a short association with the Grammys, she’s never been afraid to express herself at the event. During her Best New Artist speech last year, she called out the music industry for failing to support young artists, noting that she was dropped by her label just before the coronavirus pandemic and lost healthcare.
“It was so devastating to feel so committed to my art and feel so betrayed by the system, and so dehumanized to not have health insurance,” she recalled. “And if my label would have prioritized artist health, I could’ve been provided care by a company I was giving everything to.”
When former music executive Jeff Rabhan called her speech “wildly misinformed” in a guest column for The Hollywood Reporter, Roan called him out via Instagram, hinting that she would donate $25,000 to support struggling artists.
“Mr. Rabhan, I love how in the article you said ‘put your money where your mouth is,’” she wrote at the time. “Genius !!! Let’s link and build together and see if you can do the same.”
