Gay icon triggers tourism boom

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When Chappell Roan promised to move to Saskatchewan if her heartbreak didn't heal in four months, she probably didn't expect to single-handedly boost an entire province's tourism industry.

But that's exactly what happened after the queer pop sensation released her breakup ballad "The Subway" at the end of July.

The 27-year-old singer's iconic lyric about ditching New York for Canada's prairie province has created an unexpected cultural moment. Google searches for "Saskatchewan" spiked for the first time in nearly two years, while Tourism Saskatchewan saw roughly 50,000 interactions with their social media and website following the song's release.

"We don't normally get this kind of publicity from an artist that's at the peak of their popularity," Tourism Saskatchewan CEO Jonathan Potts told Business Insider. "This is like a gift from heaven."

The provincial government has embraced the moment wholeheartedly. Nathaniel Teed, Saskatchewan's first openly gay MLA and Shadow Minister for 2SLGBTQ+ Affairs, penned an open letter welcoming Roan to the province.

He highlighted Saskatchewan's progressive history as "the birthplace of universal healthcare in Canada" and "historically a haven for queer people," while proposing a collaboration for "an act of joyful queer resistance."

The tourism board has cleverly capitalized on the buzz, creating a website feature that lets visitors explore Saskatchewan based on their favorite Chappell Roan songs.

With only 1.2 million residents, endless prairie skies, and what Potts describes as "the darkest sky preserve just across the Montana border," Saskatchewan is positioning itself as the perfect cure for heartbreak.

For LGBTQ+ travelers curious about Roan's potential new home, the province’s largest city, Saskatoon, offers a surprisingly vibrant queer scene, from Divas Nightclub's drag performances to Flint Saloon's sophisticated cocktails and happy hours.

"The Subway" shot to number one on UK charts and became 2025's biggest song by a female performer on Spotify globally, proving that sometimes the most unexpected lyrics can create the most delightful real-world consequences.

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