Chappell Roan is a RuneScape sicko who absolutely loves the 'medieval synth sh*t' of its soundtrack

Chappell Roan singing into a microphone. — (Image credit: Jason Kempin via Getty Images)

As a 32-year-old straight man whose musical tastes mostly orbit Zupfgeigenhansel, I am incredibly well-suited to discuss the music of Chappell Roan. "Good Luck Babe", "Hot To Go". All the hits! I absolutely know all of them and could easily name more, if I wanted to.

But why is she gracing the pages of PC Gamer? Because it turns out she's a videogame OST connoisseur. Specifically, there's a space in her heart for the beeps and boops of the Old School RuneScape soundtrack. In a chat with Hemlocke Springs in Nylon, Roan paid Springs' debut album, the apple tree under the sea, the highest compliment: she said it put her in mind of RuneScape's music.

Roan was discussing the ways in which she feels boxed in by labels—from "queer artist" to "pop star"—when she paid tribute to Springs for her nuanced, "multidimensional" work. One way you know it's multidimensional? Because listening to it put Roan in mind of RuneScape.

Which, to be fair, nothing is more romantic than RuneScape. Roan continued: "No, not that one, but it's from the early 2000s and has videogame sounds down." In particular, Roan has a lot of affection for the synth-y, MIDI-hued tunes of early-aughts RuneScape: "It's really medieval synth shit. I’m a video game girl, and I love synths and '80s weird shit."

Sailors take aim at a sea beast with a cannon. — (Image credit: Jagex)

On this, as in so many other things, Roan and I are pretty much the same person. I didn't even play RuneScape as a kid, but I completely understand how its music would worm its way into your mind and stay there. Pulling it up now reminds me of pretty much every fantasy-themed game I had the good fortune to put my hands on in the late '90s. Maybe I should actually listen to Chappell Roan's music instead of just pretending I have.

One of Josh's first memories is of playing Quake 2 on the family computer when he was much too young to be doing that, and he's been irreparably game-brained ever since. His writing has been featured in Vice, Fanbyte, and the Financial Times. He'll play pretty much anything, and has written far too much on everything from visual novels to Assassin's Creed. His most profound loves are for CRPGs, immersive sims, and any game whose ambition outstrips its budget. He thinks you're all far too mean about Deus Ex: Invisible War.

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