Gov Ball 2024: Day 3 ushers in gay girlie paradise with Chappell Roan and Reneé Rapp
New York, New York - The third and last day of New York City's Governors Ball music festival put a ground-shakingly glorious end to this year's event, and TAG24 was live on the ground to catch the action.
As fans made their way back into Flushing Meadows Corona Park for the Sunday lineup of Governors Ball 2024, the Gov Ball festival outfits were largely inspired by Chappell Roan's increasingly popular aesthetic of ultra-girly country energy, pulling inspo from her hit Pink Pony Club.
Cowboycore strikes again!
Sabrina Carpenter was the act to watch on Day 2, but the biggest acts on Sunday's Day 3 were Mean Girls star Reneé Rapp, SZA, and Chappell Roan.
There was an extra level of fan devotion for cult favorite Chappell, who got a significant boost in notoriety after opening for Olivia Rodrigo's GUTS World Tour. The 26-year-old is now swiftly skyrocketing into the mainstream for her upbeat, danceable music, impressive vocal chops, and quirky performance looks.
The Casual singer – who debuted a never-before-heard song for Gov Ball – took to the stage in a giant "big apple" painted entirely in green (green wig and backless chaps included) to perform as "in drag as the biggest queen of them all," the Statue of Liberty!
At one point, Chappell gave an emotional reading of the poem at the base of the great green lady: "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free."
She continued, "That means freedom in trans rights. That means freedom in women's rights," and, becoming visibly choked up, Chappell said, "And it especially means freedom for all oppressed people in occupied territories." She was seemingly referring to the ongoing and brutal Israel-Gaza war, and the crowd went wild in their support for her call for peace.
She also explained why she was boycotting the White House Pride event this June. "In response to the White House, who asked me to perform for Pride. We want liberty, justice, and freedom for all. When you do that, that's when I'll come," she proclaimed.
Reneé Rapp and SZA lead the grand finale of Gov Ball 2024
Renée Rapp followed Chappell to much fanfare, but she didn't say much to the crowd except small interludes before songs where she said how much she loved (or hated) each one, giving a small amount of context for how a few of her tunes came to be.
Her dance moves were much appreciated by the enthusiastic crowd, however, and Reneé seemed to be having a blast – she couldn't stop smiling and laughing throughout her powerhouse set!
SZA was the show-stopping end to the night, as her hardcore fans turned up for the star's elite festival finale performance, rising from the stage with backup dancers in tow and getting the ground shaking with her mesmerizing beats.
When all was said and done, the hoards of music fans crowded onto the subways in their glittery pink cowboy-hatted best – exhausted but happy as another successful Gov Ball season came to a close.
Which Gov Ball 2024 act was your favorite?
Cover photo: Collage: TAG24 / Steffi Feldman & Jenna Cavaliere