By Uchechi Adeboye
At a time when lines between public personas and their private lives have become increasingly blurry, artists like Chappell Roan have made one thing clear: boundaries are non-negotiable. Chappell Roan, known for her unapologetic queerness and drag-inspired persona, has not only captivated millions of people with her music but has also sparked conversation around parasocial relationships—those one-sided emotional attachments fans form with public figures. She has been very vocal about her desire to maintain control over her narrative and making sure that at the end of this, she still feels like a human outside of her job and artist identity. Alongside Chappell, many other young creatives in the industry have done the same, speaking to a larger generational shift in how artists engage with their audiences.
Unlike in the past, today’s emerging artists—many of whom are Gen Z—are taking a firm stand against the invasive demands of fans and the music industry. They are fully aware of the toll that overexposure and parasocial pressures can have on their mental health. For Chappell Roan, this means setting clear boundaries with her audience, not only on stage but also across social media platforms, where fans often feel entitled to know everything about an artist’s life.
Boundaries in a Hyper-Connected World
For a long time, artists in the entertainment world have been seen as public property. The 1990s is often romanticised for its explosion of pop culture, but was also a time when artists—particularly young female stars—were under brutal scrutiny. Britney Spears, Anna Nicole Smith, and countless others were subjected to invasive interviews, stalking paparazzi, and an industry that capitalised on their exploitation. Those who set boundaries were seen as divas. To show vulnerability or to pull back from the public eye was often viewed as career suicide.
Parasocial Relationships: Then and Now
During the 1990s, parasocial relationships were largely one-sided, existing through fan mail, televised interviews, and concert performances. However, in the digital age, where social plays a massive part in self-promotion and building artist identity, more and more people find themselves feeling like they know artists intimately resulting in them thinking we are owed constant access to their lives.
Roan has been open about her struggles with setting boundaries online, and her discomfort of people stalking her family and approaching her in public on her downtime. ‘I told myself, if this ever gets dangerous, I might quit…It’s dangerous now, and I’m still going. But that part is not what I signed up for.’
She has stated in interviews that while she loves connecting with her audience, it’s crucial for her to protect her mental health by drawing a line, especially following her recent diagnosis with major depressive disorder.
The Cost of Assumptions & Industry Pushback
Another Gen Z celebrity who has felt the impact of fan entitlement is Heartstopper actor Kit Connor. At the age of 18, Connor portrayed a bisexual character on the Netflix series and soon found himself under pressure to reveal his own sexual orientation. Fans, assuming that he was queerbaiting due to his alleged relationship with a woman, hounded him online until he eventually came out as bisexual. Before deleting social media, he came back to tweet, “Back for a minute. I’m bi. Congrats for forcing an 18 year old to out himself. I think some of you missed the point of the show. Bye.”
Young celebrities are being pressured to choose between keeping parts of themselves and their lives sacred and private, and keeping their career. Although many have praised Chappell for her transparency about mental health and boundaries, she has also been labelled by some as a diva and unreasonable.
It’s not just the fans who struggle with these new boundaries—so does the industry. Historically, record labels and managers have profited from the overexposure of their artists. But as people like Chappell and Kit demand more control over their image and personal life, the industry is being forced to evolve and can no longer “sell the artist”.
The Future of Fan-Artist Relationships
As artists continue to advocate for boundaries, they are setting a new standard for how fan-artist relationships should function in the modern age; in the hopes that artists will be allowed to be multifaceted humans, not just performers. There is a cultural shift happening within the industry where newer artists are prioritising authenticity and self-care are over relentless availability and burnout. And while the transition might be difficult for some fans to accept, it ultimately benefits both parties. Artists can create from a place of emotional well-being, and fans can engage with healthier, more authentic versions of the people they admire.
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