Pop star Chappell Roan turned to Duolingo to surprise her fans with some Spanish during her debut in Mexico on Saturday (Nov. 15) night at the Corona Capital festival.
“¡Hola, buenas noches! Me llamo Chappell Roan,” said the singer-songwriter to the 75,000 people (according to promoter Ocesa’s figures) gathered around the main stage at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City. “Are you ready to get ‘Naked in Manhattan?’” she added in English, referencing her song of the same name.
It was the prelude to a grand celebration filled with the dance and synth-pop hits that have made the young singer one of the most celebrated stars today.
Later, seated on a giant throne while holding a gremlin-shaped toy, she revealed more about her attempts to learn the language. “I’m on day 55 of my Duolingo for Spanish, and I practiced saying that sentence in Spanish, and I’m too embarrassed to try and speak it,” she said shyly before performing “Coffee.”
Hundreds of fans responded by chanting “¡Sí se puede!” (Yes, we can!) in unison to try to encourage her. “Chappell, sister, you’re already Mexican!” shouted another group of supporters to applaud her effort, also in Spanish.
On several occasions, Roan interacted with the audience that eagerly awaited her during the marathon day of the musical feast, which also marked the 2025 closing of her Visions of Damsels & Other Dangerous Things Tour, a title that is reflected in her fairytale gothic aesthetic.
“I was really nervous to play this show because I’ve never played in Mexico before,” she confessed. “I wasn’t sure, honestly, what the turn out was gonna be, so I’m glad, thank you for showing up, and this is so awesome!”
Throughout the performance, the singer was literally the queen of a castle that filled the stage. Her often theatrical performance reached a surreal climax when the 27-year-old artist also paid homage to the famous Mexican celebration of Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead), which is held on Nov. 1 and 2 to honor deceased loved ones.
“I wanted to be a screaming banshee, and so I was like, Il’l be scary cause I feel like Mexico City can handle it,” the artists said. “I literally think this is the only place that can handle me looking like this,” she added about her outfit: a bridal gown with veils and lace, her mouth and teeth stained red to simulate blood. (Banshees are female spirits from Irish folklore, described as messengers of death whose wailing or screaming announces the passing of a close relative.)
An enthusiastic audience sang along to every word of her hits, from “Pink Pony Club” to “Good Luck, Babe.” Even the unreleased single “The Subway” and her cover of Heart’s “Barracuda” were a resounding success. The emotion conveyed by the 2025 Grammy winner for best new artist brought tears to the eyes of many of her fans, who expressed their gratitude for her visit.
Roan is set to visit other Latin American countries in 2026 when she participates in the Lollapalooza festivals in Chile, Argentina and Brazil.
The second day of activities at the Corona Capital festival also included performances by acts such as Vampire Weekend, Aurora, Marina, Mogwai, Alabama Shakes, Jehnny Beth, Haute & Freddy y Half-Alive. Italian star Damiano David canceled his participation last minute due to health reasons, according to a statement released on his social media.
The program was set to continue on Sunday with Linkin Park, the much-anticipated return of Deftones to Mexico, James, AFI, Weezer, Jerry Cantrell, TV on the Radio, and more.
