Yet again, Chappell Roan is making headlines and public opinion for one of her controversial takes. According to recent reports, Chappell Roan publicly announced that she is "never dating a man again...I don't think they understand me. I don't think they make good art". As an outspoken, lesbian artist, her speaking on this topic is entirely understandable. However, her insinuation that men do not make good art has been the main reason for debate across social media. Many side with Roan in a radically feminist point of view, arguing that female artists have been at the forefront of good art in the past decades. Many others have gone against Roan, saying the idea is divisive and that men do make good art.
On platforms like TikTok and Twitter, many have directly attacked Roan by saying that her music and persona are largely influenced by drag queens. Roan's opponents accentuate that by using drag staples, she is using a majority-male artistic outlet. This is partially true, but it's important to note the background of drag. Drag culture and costume come from women, especially women of color and trans women. Much of the drag lexicon and performance comes from African American Vernacular English and Black women. Therefore, those who say Roan’s point is ruined due to her involvement in drag culture are incorrect. The art of drag comes from women and inspirations that have long been rooted in women of color.
Furthermore, some of the most iconic songs ever written by men are about women. Whether it’s love, heartbreak, longing or admiration, women are at the center of the narrative. Even in folk traditions, where storytelling is key, women often serve as the emotional core as a symbol of something greater. The “good art” we praise so often comes from this relationship, from men responding to women, writing because of them, and creating in their presence, even if indirectly.
History reinforces this pattern beyond lyrics. Behind many great men in art, politics and culture, are women who shaped, supported or inspired them; wives, collaborators and pioneers who rarely received equal credit. Women paved the way in industries that men later dominated, often doing the emotional, intellectual or even logistical labor that allowed that art to exist. Their influence is not always named, but it is always there, embedded in the work itself. I can't help but think of Joan Baez and Bob Dylan, who fed off of each other, but with very different public reception and remembrance. From classical portraits to modern film and music, female muses have been catalysts for male art. They shape the tone, the message and the emotion of the work. Without them, much of what we consider “genius” would lack its spark.
And finally, motherhood: the most foundational form of creation. Birth itself is art. It is creation in its purest, most literal sense. Before any man writes a song, paints a canvas or performs on a stage, he is first created, carried and nurtured by a woman. In that way, every piece of art made by a man is already a continuation of a woman’s creation. Boys grow up making things like drawings, songs and ideas. However, there is an innate desire in boys to show their work to their mother first. To say, “Look what I made". It might sound foolish, but I can't help but wonder: when Leonardo DaVinci painted the Mona Lisa, did he want, in his heart, to hold the painting up to his mother and excitedly show her what he had crafted?
Everything that I have said regarding male music brings me back to Chapell Roan’s point and now, what I personally think of it. It may surprise you, but when she said that men do not make good art, I couldn't help but agree. This is not to say that men are incapable of making art, but rather, that men cannot make good art alone. Every song made by a man is tied to a woman, no matter the subject or what the artist says. Whether it be spouses, sisters, mothers, female muses or lovers, male art and music are intrinsically tied to women. Women surround art, especially male art; it's foolish to say they don't. Women carry the voices of the men we listen to and raise them to sing. It is women who give men their paintbrushes, instruments and voices. They love us and inspire our first paint strokes, notes and syllables. Men have the ability to make art, but without women, it would be impossible.