What Does Red Wine Supernova Mean? Chappell Roan's Hit Song Explained

“Red Wine Supernova” is one of the many hits off of Chappell Roan’s debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, but what exactly does it mean? This popular single celebrates queer love and the excitement that comes with falling for another woman. In this article, we’ll explore what the lyrics of “Red Wine Supernova” mean, as well as what Chappell Roan herself has said about the song. Plus, learn about the song’s background, its music video, why it’s so popular, and the meanings of other Chappell Roan songs.

“Red Wine Supernova” Lyrics Meaning

Chappell Roan’s hit “Red Wine Supernova” is a fun, campy song about a woman having feelings for another woman. Roan sings about a passionate, if somewhat overwhelming, relationship that celebrates queer love and sexuality. The lyrics are cheeky and don’t take themselves too seriously.

Section 1 of 7:

What does the song “Red Wine Supernova” mean?

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In the opening lines of the song, Roan sings, “She was a Playboy, Brigitte Bardot / She showed me things I didn’t know.” Both Playboy bunnies and actress Brigitte Bardot are sex symbols known for their beauty, but Bardot was also known for her rebellious spirit. Here, we see that Roan is fascinated by her love interest not only because of her looks but because she is wild and alluring.^{[1]
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In the first verse, Roan sings, “Put her canine teeth in the side of my neck.” This shows that the relationship is physical and somewhat animalistic rather than sweet and innocent. Roan does not shy away from the sexual elements of the song.^{[2]
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In the pre-chorus, Roan sings, “I just wanna get to know ya / Guess I didn’t quite think it through / Fell in love with the thought of you / Now I’m choked up, face down, burnt out.” While “Red Wine Supernova” comes off as a happy-go-lucky song, these lines suggest Roan may have bitten off more than she can chew and didn’t quite know what she signed up for when beginning the relationship.^{[3]
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The relationship is passionate and explosive. In the chorus, Roan sings, “Baby, why don’t you come over? / Red wine supernova, falling into me / I don’t care that you’re a stoner / Red wine supernova, fall right into me.” Supernovas are bright explosions that occur at the end of a star’s life. These lines suggest that the relationship may be passionate but short-lived (like a hookup), or it may be an innuendo for an explosive orgasm.^{[4]
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- The line “I don’t care that you’re a stoner” also suggests that the speaker is willing to overlook things that could be red flags or that the love interest is insecure about. She’s throwing caution to the wind.
In the second verse, Roan sings, “I like (I like) / What you like (What you like) / Long hair (no bra) / It’s my type (That’s right) / You just told me / Want me to f*** you / Baby, I will ‘cause I really want to.” These lines express mutual attraction and unapologetically celebrates queer sexuality and the freedom of expressing yourself and your desires without shame.^{[5]
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The speaker and her partner may have a passionate relationship, but their romantic ideals may clash with practical limitations. In the bridge, Roan sings, “Well, back at my house / I’ve got a California king / Okay, maybe it’s a twin bed / And some roommates (Don’t worry, we’re cool).” This makes the song relatable, as many people live in situations like this while trying to have a physical relationship with their partner. The bridge also suggests the speaker’s vulnerability, as she’s sharing this information with her partner.
In the bridge, Roan sings, “I heard you like magic / I’ve got a wand and a rabbit / So baby, let’s get freaky, get kinky / Let’s make this bed get squeaky.” Here, the wand and rabbit are a double entendre, as they’re common props in magic as well as common sex toys. Roan is playfully suggesting she wants to explore her relationship and sexual desires with her partner further.^{[6]
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Section 2 of 7:

What does the title “Red Wine Supernova” mean?

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Chappell Roan has not confirmed what exactly the phrase “red wine supernova” means, though she has confirmed it’s a reference to the song “Champagne Supernova” by Oasis. Many fans speculate that the phrase is a sexual metaphor, referencing an orgasm or a woman’s genitals. It may also be a reference to an “explosive” hookup.

Section 3 of 7:

What Chappell Roan Has Said About “Red Wine Supernova”

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In an interview with Brooklyn Vegan in 2023, Roan stated that she wrote “Red Wine Supernova” because she “needed a campy gay girl song that captured the magic of having feelings for another girl. I packed the song with fun, raunchy lyrics that make it feel like a night out flirting with the girl across the bar!” The lyrics are intended to capture the rush of a first encounter with someone.^{[7]
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The song was originally from Chappell’s “straight” era. The original demo of “Red Wine Supernova” was very different from the final version. Roan shared the demo on TikTok, claiming it was from her “straight” era. The song was originally a ballad with no explicit references to the love interest being a woman. In the same video, Roan says that the original version of the song “was not it.”^{[8]
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Roan considers the song a “gay girl anthem.” In an interview with Capital Buzz, Roan explained what she thinks makes a song a gay girl anthem: “I would say you just have to let go of what straight people are gonna think about it. I think you just have to lean into the camp. It’s just about really going bold into, ‘This is about a woman,’ and not shying away from that.”^{[9]
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Roan chose the song’s bridge because she thought it would be fun with a crowd. When discussing the bridge of “Red Wine Supernova” with Capital Buzz, Roan said, “We had so many different ideas. We just settled on, ‘What would be fun to do with a crowd?’ which is usually what every bridge is. We were just kind of thinking, ‘Oh, what’s like a country kind of chant?’ The wand and the rabbit line is just so… We were crying laughing when we were writing it. I just wanted something I could sing with the audience, you know?”^{[10]
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Section 4 of 7:

Background & Release of “Red Wine Supernova”

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“Red Wine Supernova” is the 6th single from Roan’s debut album. Chappell Roan’s debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, was released on September 22, 2023, though “Red Wine Supernova” was released as a single on May 19 of that year. It went on to become a sleeper hit in 2024, as it was one of Chappell’s seven simultaneously charting songs on the Billboard Hot 100.^{[11]
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The song is a nod to Oasis’s “Champagne Supernova.” In an interview with Glamour, Chappell Roan confirmed that “Red Wine Supernova” is “the gay girl version” of the song “Champagne Supernova” by Oasis.^{[12]
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Research source} Though the songs are very different, it’s possible some of Roan’s lyrics could also be an homage to Oasis, as “I don’t care that you’re a stoner” is comparable to Oasis’s “Where were you while we were getting high?”
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“Red Wine Supernova” was highly praised by critics. Callie Ahlgrim of Business Insider named “Red Wine Supernova” the best song of 2023, while Capital FM ranked it 14th, and Rolling Stone ranked it 18th. NME listed it as the 47th of the top 50 songs of 2023, and Pitchfork ranked it 54th on their top 100 list.^{[13]
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Section 5 of 7:

“Red Wine Supernova” Music Video Meaning

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The “Red Wine Supernova” music video is a celebration of queer love. Playing on the song’s lyrics about magic, the “Red Wine Supernova” music video follows Chappell Roan’s character as she falls in love with a female magician. The video features yard signs that read “God hates magic!” and a nosy, scandalized neighbor, which is a reference to many conservative Christians’ anti-LGBTQ+ beliefs. The two lead characters continue to have fun and celebrate their relationship, regardless, using magic to turn the sign into a rose and the neighbor into a rabbit, showing that love overcomes hate.^{[14]
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Section 6 of 7:

Why “Red Wine Supernova” is So Popular

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Chappell Roan unapologetically makes music for the LGBTQ+ community and queer women in particular. Like many of her other songs, “Red Wine Supernova” focuses on the fun and exciting parts of falling in love and beginning a sapphic relationship, leading many to deem it a “gay girl anthem.”^{[15]
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While the original demo of “Red Wine Supernova” was a slower ballad, the final product is fun and high energy. Chappell Roan and her co-writers didn’t take themselves too seriously, as they wanted to create a campy song that the audience could easily sing along to. Roan has even called it the “ultimate silly pop” song.^{[16]
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“Red Wine Supernova” may not take itself too seriously, but it still shows off Roan’s impressive vocal range. Roan has a very expressive and theatrical vocal style, and the chorus in particular displays how easily she can reach high notes as a soprano.

Section 7 of 7:

Other Chappell Roan Songs

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Pink Pony Club “Pink Pony Club” was the lead single of Chappell Roan’s debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, released on April 3, 2020. “Pink Pony Club” tells the story of a woman leaving her home in Tennessee to become a dancer at the Pink Pony gay club in West Hollywood. The song is about finding a safe space where you can be yourself.^{[17]
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Hot to Go! “Hot to Go!” was the seventh and final single from The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, released on August 11, 2023. The song, described as a queer cheer song similar to “YMCA,” tells the story of a woman who wants to have sex with another woman. “Hot to Go!” and its accompanying dance were inspired by Chappell’s childhood dream of wanting to be a cheerleader.^{[18]
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Casual “Casual” was released as a single on October 28, 2022, later being featured on The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. It is a country-influenced pop song that tells the story of a situationship between Roan and her love interest, who won’t commit to a true relationship. The song was inspired by a real long-distance relationship Roan began during the Covid-19 pandemic.^{[19]
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Good Luck, Babe! “Good Luck, Babe!” was released as a single on April 5, 2024. The song tells the story of a queer woman who denies her feelings for Roan and women in general to instead enter a compulsory heterosexual relationship.^{[20]
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Research source} Many critics declared the song was Roan’s breakout hit.
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The Giver Released as a single on March 13, 2025, “The Giver” is Chappell Roan’s first country song. The song features traditional country instruments, like the fiddle, and parodies country lyrical norms while discussing lesbian sexual intimacy. Roan has stated that she found the country genre to be nostalgic and freeing.^{[21]
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