Sabrina Carpenter has joined forces with fellow artists Chappell Roan, Charli XCX and Noah Kahan to support healthcare access in the music industry through donations to charity organisation Backline.
The move follows Chappell Roan’s Grammy acceptance speech for Best New Artist, where she called for music industry labels to provide better support for developing artists, specifically addressing the need for “a liveable wage and health care.”
Through a new initiative branded as ‘We Got You’, Carpenter has matched Roan’s $25,000 donation to Backline, with the contribution confirmed by the organisation to Billboard. The partnership aims to improve healthcare accessibility for artists and foster a more supportive industry environment.
Both Charli XCX and Noah Kahan have also pledged $25,000 each to the cause. “I’m going to match your 25k to support artist’s access to healthcare,” Kahan wrote. “I’m inspired by you. Happy to help get the ball rolling. Money where my mouth is!”
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Charli XCX added: “I saw @noahkahanmusic say that he would do the same and so I thought I’d follow suit. Your speech at the Grammys was inspiring and thoughtful and from a genuine place of care.”
Roan has since clarified her intentions behind the initiative on Instagram Stories, stating: “Sharing my personal experience on the Grammy stage wasn’t meant to be a crowdfunded bandaid but a call to action to the leaders of the industry to step up, help us make real change and protect their investments in a sustainable way. Fans, y’all don’t have to donate a damn penny. This is one of many opportunities for the industry powers to show up for artists. There is much more work to be done.”
Ariana Grande has also contributed to the discourse, advocating for the inclusion of mental health services in artist contracts. “It’s so important that these record labels, these studios, these TV studios, these big production companies make it a part of the contract when you sign on to do something that’s going to change your life in that way, on that scale. You need a therapist to be seeing several times a week,” she said.
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