"The Giver" is a song by American singer-songwriter Chappell Roan, her first in the country music genre. It was released as a single through Amusement and Island Records on March 13, 2025.
"The Giver" was first performed live during her debut appearance as a musical guest on Saturday Night Live (SNL) on November 2, 2024. In the months leading up to the song's release, Roan teased the track through billboards seen across the United States. On March 14, Roan also released an infomercial-style lyric video for the song, conceptualized by her creative director Ramisha Sattar.
"The Giver" marks a departure for Chappell Roan into the country music genre,[2] with critics describing the song as country[3] and country pop.[4] The song incorporates traditional country instrumentation, including a fiddle, while subverting conventional lyrical themes with queer storytelling.[2][5] Roan collaborated with producer Dan Nigro on the writing process, emphasizing a piano-driven approach to establish the song's structure before focusing on production.[5] Roan named "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)" by Big & Rich and "Chattahoochee" by Alan Jackson as musical influences on the song.[6] In the key of B Major, her vocals in the song span from F♯3 (lowest note) to E5 (highest note).[7]
In an interview with Amazon Music, she explained that she found the idea of writing a lesbian country song amusing, but she did not intend to "invade" the genre or bait its usual audience to listen to her songs. She found the genre nostalgic and freeing.[8] However, she further explained that her upbringing as a closeted lesbian in Missouri who was taught to hate her own sexuality or "pray it away" influenced the song. "I love myself so much that I took a leap into a pretty painful part of my past in the Midwest and made a song of joy," she shared.[9]
Promotion and release
The song was first performed live during Roan's debut appearance on Saturday Night Live (SNL) hosted by comedian John Mulaney on November 2, 2024.[10][11] Ahead of the release, she teased the song during a question and answer session at the Grammy Museum, where she described the writing process as an opportunity to reconnect with her roots.[2][5] Roan hinted at the song and its thematic departure from her earlier work through social media posts, suggesting the beginning of a new era in her career.[10][11] Nigro revealed that preparing the song involved extensive research and a creative exploration of country music tropes, though he refrained from detailing specific influences.[5] The single's official release was highly anticipated following the positive reception of the live debut.[5]
On SNL, "The Giver" was presented as a brand-new song following her performance of "Pink Pony Club" from her 2023 debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess.[11] The live debut featured an elaborate stage setup and her characteristic drag-inspired aesthetic.[10][11]
In the months leading up to the song's release, Roan teased the track through billboards seen across the United States, in which she appeared dressed as various career women with the hotline number 620-HOT-TO-GO. On March 13, 2025, she released "The Giver" as a single.[12] The following day, on March 14, she also released an infomercial-style lyric video for the song, which was conceptualized by her creative director, Ramisha Sattar.[13][14] It features Roan as a range of professions, such as a construction worker ("she can fix you"), a detective ("I know what you are"), and a lawyer ("you'll love my briefs").[13]
Robin Murray of Clash gave "The Giver" a score of 9 out of 10, hailing it as "breathlessly entertaining" country-pop. He praised the song for its glossy production, while maintaining Roan's brassy, bold essence.[15] Meanwhile, Laura Snapes of The Guardian gave the song four stars out of five. She called it "riotous good fun", comparing it to The Chicks' hit songs from the 1990s.[16] Meanwhile, Walden Green of Pitchfork compared "The Giver" to Shania Twain's music. He commended Nigro's production on the song, which he said "chugs like a train and revs like a pickup truck", though he lamented the absence of Roan's ad-lib during her SNL performance of the song ("Only a woman knows how to treat a woman right") in the final product.[6]
Autostraddle writer Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya echoed Snapes and Green's comparisons of "The Giver" to the music of The Chicks and Shania Twain. She noted that lyrics were extremely candid about intimacy, praising the song for its direct, overt approach towards lesbian sex. Upadhyaya also lauded Sattar, adding that "we should be talking about Ramisha's work every time we talk about Chappell's artistry." She concluded, "Not a single part of ["The Giver"] is subtle, and that's why I instantly love it," commending Roan for taking "big swings" in her art.[14] Likewise, Vulture's Justin Curto wrote that Roan sounded like a young Natalie Maines in "The Giver" and that the song "sounds like a lesbian Shania Twain single".[17]
Critics responded to "The Giver" with commentary on its impact within the country music landscape.[18]USA Today identified it as part of a growing movement of queer country music, highlighting how it challenges traditional norms in the genre.[18] The song's lyrics and Roan's SNL performance were noted for their assertive and direct address of queer themes, positioning the track among modern LGBTQ+ country anthems.[18][11][2] Critics highlighted Roan's use of humor and assertiveness as distinctive within the genre.[2]
The performance on SNL drew attention for its blend of retro Western visuals and modern thematic content. Commentators have situated "The Giver" within a broader trend of increasing LGBTQ+ representation in country music, likening Roan's efforts to those of artists such as Brandi Carlile and Orville Peck.[2][5]
Live performances
The debut of "The Giver" on SNL included a visually distinct performance featuring Roan with an all-female band, dressed in Western-inspired denim and gingham attire.[10][11][5] The performance was characterized by spoken word interjections where Roan addressed the audience directly.[10][11][2] Critics described the performance as vibrant and reflective of her theatrical style.[10][11]
Commercial performance
"The Giver" debuted at number five on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Roan's third top-ten single and her first top-40 debut. The song accumulated 22.3 million streams, 6,000 downloads, and 2.2 million in radio audience impressions in its first full charting week.[19] The song also debuted atop the Hot Country Songs chart, making Roan the third woman to have their first entry on that chart debut at number one. She follows Beyoncé with "Texas Hold 'Em" (2024) and Bebe Rexha with "Meant to Be" featuring Florida Georgia Line (2017).[20]
In the United Kingdom, "The Giver" debuted at number two on the UK Singles Chart on March 21, 2025 – for the week ending date March 27, 2025 – becoming Roan's fourth top ten song, and first top ten debut song, in Britain.[21]
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