Singer-songwriter Chappell Roan sits at #11 on the latest Billboard Hot 100 chart with ‘Good Luck, Babe!,’ her breakthrough single. I don’t know if this track has the wide popularity to be the Song of the Summer, but it may well be the song of the year.
‘Good Luck, Babe!’ is aimed at a closeted woman who flees a lesbian relationship to hide in the more accepted confines of a straight one. It’s emotionally raw but incredibly catchy, with an alt-pop chorus so slick and sweet I want to listen to it on repeat.
Roan kicks things up a notch on the excellent bridge, a triumph of both songwriting and performance. This is really great work.
My daughter isn’t a fan of the song’s slowed-down ending, but I kinda dig it. It ties nicely into the closing lines (“you’d have to stop the world just to stop the feeling”) and gives the track even more dramatic heft.
‘Good Luck, Babe!’ is my first exposure to Roan, but definitely not my last.
It’s fine, it’s cool
You can say that we are nothing, but you know the truth
And guess I’m the fool
With her arms out like an angel through the car sunroof
[Pre-Chorus]
I don’t wanna call it off
But you don’t wanna call it love
You only wanna be the one that I call baby
[Chorus]
You can kiss a hundred boys in bars
Shoot another shot, try to stop the feeling
You can say it’s just the way you are
Make a new excuse, another stupid reason
Good luck, babe (Well, good luck)
Well, good luck, babe (Well, good luck)
You’d have to stop the world just to stop the feeling
Good luck, babe (Well, good luck)
Well, good luck, babe (Well, good luck)
You’d have to stop the world just to stop the feeling
[Verse 2]
I’m cliché, who cares?
It’s a sexually explicit kind of love affair
And I cry, it’s not fair
I just need a little lovin’, I just need a little air
[Pre-Chorus]
Think I’m gonna call it off
Even if you call it love
I just wanna love someone who calls me baby
[Chorus]
You can kiss a hundred boys in bars
Shoot another shot, try to stop the feeling
You can say it’s just the way you are
Make a new excuse, another stupid reason
Good luck, babe (Well, good luck)
Well, good luck, babe (Well, good luck)
You’d have to stop the world just to stop the feeling
Good luck, babe (Well, good luck)
Well, good luck, babe (Well, good luck)
You’d have to stop the world just to stop the feeling
[Bridge]
When you wake up next to him in the middle of the night
With your head in your hands, you’re nothing more than his wife
And when you think about me, all of those years ago
You’re standing face to face with “I told you so”
You know I hate to say it, I told you so
You know I hate to say, but I told you so
[Chorus]
You can kiss a hundred boys in bars
Shoot another shot, try to stop the feeling (Well, I told you so)
You can say it’s just the way you are
Make a new excuse, another stupid reason
Good luck, babe (Well, good luck)
Well, good luck, babe (Well, good luck)
You’d have to stop the world just to stop the feeling
Good luck, babe (Well, good luck)
Well, good luck, babe (Well, good luck)
You’d have to stop the world just to stop the feeling
[Outro]
You’d have to stop the world just to stop the feeling
You’d have to stop the world just to stop the feeling
You’d have to stop the world just to stop the feeling
Meet Me In Montauk 
I’ve never heard of Roan or this song, but I’m sticking with “Espresso” as the song of the summer.
Big Chappell Roan fan over here and have been for a bit! Her album is absolutely worth a listen 🙂