Chappell Roan Performs "Good Luck, Babe!" at the 2024 MTV VMAs

Chappell Roan performs on stage during the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards at UBS Arena on September 11, 2024 in Elmont, New York.

(Image credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for MTV)

published 12 September 2024

There was no doubt Chappell Roan would give a transformative debut performance at the 2024 MTV VMAs—and the Midwest Princess did not disappoint.

To perform her recent hit "Good Luck, Babe!" on the VMA stage on Wednesday, September 11, the pop star channeled Joan of Arc in a theatrical, intricate, jaw-dropping performance that burned the stage up, literally.

The "HOT TO GO!" singer began her performance behind a stately gate, with the stage evoking an ancient castle behind her. Wearing a suit of silver armor and chainmail, Roan marched to the front of the stage carrying a crossbow lit with a flaming arrow. She then shot the arrow at the stage, setting off sparks and the opening notes of "Good Luck, Babe!"

Chappell Roan - "Good Luck, Babe!" | 2024 VMAs - YouTube

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As the "Red Wine Supernova" star sang on the emblazed stage, she and her armor-clad dancers performed an extended fight sequence, complete with swordplay and pyrotechnics. Eventually, she focused on singing the track's epic bridge as combat raged around her, completing the song with flames subsiding behind her.

Over the past few months of her meteoric rise, Roan's extravagant costumes and themes have become a trademark, with the artist crediting the drag community as an inspiration. The VMAs even tapped RuPaul's Drag Race season 15 winner Sasha Colby to present the pop star's perfroamcne. During her remarks, Colby dubbed Roan her "daughter" and "your favorite drag queen's favorite artist."

Later in the night, Roan dedicated her win for Best New Artist to "all the drag artists who inspire me" and the "queer and trans people that fuel pop." She added, "For all the queer kids in the Midwest watching right now, I see you. I understand you because I'm one of you. And don't ever let anyone tell you that you can't be exactly who you wanna be."

chappell roan vmas — Roan receives a sword from her knight attendant on the 2024 MTV VMAs red carpet.

Roan gave an early hint for her dramatic performance on the 2024 MTV VMAs red carpet, where she dressed to the medieval theme in a gauzy naked dress from Y/Project, chainmail gloves, an oversized cross necklace, and silver dagger nails. She also had a helpful knight on deck to assist her with her props: a large sword, an embellished vintage robe, and an antique rug.

Speaking to MTV on the carpet, Roan revealed that the robe was roughly 300 years old, while the rug counted around 600 years.

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Quinci is a Culture Writer who covers all aspects of pop culture, including TV, movies, music, books, and theater. She contributes interviews with talent, as well as SEO content, features, and trend stories. She fell in love with storytelling at a young age, and eventually discovered her love for cultural criticism and amplifying awareness for underrepresented storytellers across the arts. She previously served as a weekend editor for Harper’s Bazaar, where she covered breaking news and live events for the brand’s website, and helped run the brand’s social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Her freelance writing has also appeared in outlets including HuffPost, The A.V. Club, Elle, Vulture, Salon, Teen Vogue, and others. Quinci earned her degree in English and Psychology from The University of New Mexico. She was a 2021 Eugene O’Neill Critics Institute fellow, and she is a member of the Television Critics Association. She is currently based in her hometown of Los Angeles. When she isn't writing or checking Twitter way too often, you can find her studying Korean while watching the latest K-drama, recommending her favorite shows and films to family and friends, or giving a concert performance while sitting in L.A. traffic.

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