What 6 Saskatchewanians Think of Chappell Roan’s Canadian Callout
(Photo: Getty Images, iStock)
There are a few places in the world that pop stars love to name-drop—New York, our favourite concrete jungle where dreams are made of, California (here we come!)—but Saskatchewan has traditionally been very low on that list. Until this summer, that is.
Enter Chappell Roan’s new single “The Subway.” The song, a moody breakup ballad, made a sneak preview at last summer’s Governor’s Ball Music Festival in New York City and on social media. A couple thousand kilometres to the northwest, one line in particular made ears perk up: “I made a promise if in four months, this feeling ain't gone/Well, fuck this city, I’m moving to Saskatchewan.”
Ahead of the song’s release on July 31, prairie hype reached a fever pitch when an official Chappell Roan fan account posted a teaser clip on TikTok with some pretty distinctive provincial imagery: a huge semi truck with a Saskatchewan license plate (reading THE SBWY) rolls past a “Welcome to Saskatchewan” sign amid rolling canola fields and grain elevators, Roan’s signature red curls billowing out the open window. (The video was the work of Regina-based content agency Captive, who told CBC News Saskatchewan they pulled the video together in the span of a weekend following a highly secretive, last-minute email from Universal Music—and some supplies from a local wig shop.)
For a province whose pop-culture profile is peripheral at best, a mention from a mainstream pop star will inevitably feel surreal. Residents have met the attention with classic prairie hospitality, and the local tourism industry is making the most of the moment (as confirmed by a steady stream of whimsical TikToks from newfound tourists drawn by Chappell’s shoutout).
We asked six people around the province to share their reactions to Saskatchewan’s newfound popularity, respond to the recent attention and clear up that eternal question: How do you pronounce Saskatchewan, anyway?
On Proper Pronunciation
“Sask-atch-ewin is how I’ve always heard it pronounced from people in my community. The word comes from the Cree name for the Saskatchewan river ‘Kisiskatchewanisipi,’ which describes the river as fast-flowing or swift.” —Marley McDonald, Muskeg Lake Cree Nation
“We always say it as Saskatche-WIN, whereas she says Saskatche-WAHN.” —Brittney Fehr, Warman
“It’s Saskatch–uhWIN. We say it the right way.” —Alyssa Audrey Petrisor, Regina
“Saskatchewan? It’s basically one syllable, and the vowels are barely said.” —Vikki Minor, Saskatoon
On Being In The Spotlight
“It felt weird, because you never hear anything about Saskatchewan at all. You never hear that name, and if you do, it's because it's a joke…This is where my people are from; my ancestors were here for hundreds of years before. It’s nice to see pop culture recognition; political recognition; societal recognition.” —M.M
“It's amazing. Even within Canada, Saskatchewan is the province that gets forgotten about all the time.” —V.M.
“Hearing Saskatchewan name-dropped in a song? I know it’s happened before, but from a pop star at the top of her game? It was just so cool. It’s about time Saskatchewan gets put on the map a little bit more.” —Kris Bynes, Saskatoon
On Queer Visibility
“There isn’t a lot of queer representation in Saskatchewan, especially in rural Saskatchewan. It's still very taboo to be out and about with your sexuality. Having such a big queer artist come out and mention one of the places that is not as accepting as the rest of the world is awesome.” —Vassi Kangles, Frontier
“I’m a queer artist and so I really relate to her. She came from the Midwest, which is very similar to Saskatchewan. So her name-dropping my province, as the biggest queer artist right now, was amazing. All my friends, my family—even my grandpa heard about it on CBC. I think it's really brought pride to our community.” —V.M
“I don’t think people and queer media usually think a lot about Saskatchewan, but you know what? There’s a lot of cool queer culture here as well. We have a lot of history.” —K.B
On Interested Tourists
“I welcome it. I love it. I think more people should come to our province…I encourage people: If you’re thinking about it, you should definitely come. Chappell’s going to live here [laughing]; it’s cool enough for her, so obviously it's cool enough for you to come visit.” —K.B
“I really hope more people come to Saskatchewan. It would be very special and meaningful to share our queer country culture with our friends from around the world. Some of the best folk musicians, artists, dancers, singers, actors, writers and innovators call this province home.” —A.A.P
On Moving Advice For Chappell
“Don’t just go to Regina. Saskatoon is the best city in the province.” —V.M.
“Maybe take up farming. And bring a jacket.” —B.F.
“Be used to sitting in the car.”—K.B.
“Get comfortable with the bush.” —A.A.P
“Engage with the people here. Saskatchewan is a very, very special place.” —V.K.
