On September 21, 2025, at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, New York, pop’s new sensation Chappell Roan delivered one of the most electric moments of her Visions of Damsels & Other Dangerous Things tour: her long‐cherished cover of Heart’s 1977 anthem “Barracuda”, performed with none other than its co‐writer and guitarist Nancy Wilson. For fans old and new, it was a moment that bridged generations of rock, queer pop, and raw performance energy.
“Barracuda” has long held a special place in Roan’s setlists — it’s not just a cameo cover, but a staple. Roan has publicly called it “my favorite song” and confessed she wishes she had written it, because of how it makes her feel.
Nancy Wilson, too, has embraced the connection. Earlier this year, she spent time backstage with Roan (and others) at a Heart concert in Los Angeles, offering words of encouragement and saying she was happy to be a “rock ’n’ roll auntie” should younger artists ever want advice.
So when the moment came in Queens, it felt both inevitable and monumental. Roan introduced Barracuda as “the best rock song ever, by the best rock band ever — Heart.”
The Performance
Despite battling a migraine through much of the show, Roan pressed on — which only seems to have added rawness and urgency to her vocals and stage presence.
Nancy Wilson joined her on stage to play guitar and sing, bringing authenticity not only in tone but presence: she helped elevate what was already a gripping cover into something stirringly real.
The band leaned into the rock energy: searing guitar riffs, powerful vocal declarations, and that unmistakable mix of anger, defiance, and attitude which Barracuda has always carried. For many in the audience, it seemed like a passing of the torch — from one generation of rock to the next, from Wilson’s era of classic rock to Roan’s era where genre lines are more fluid, performance is theatrical, and identity is central.
