Tucker Pillsbury, more commonly known as Role Model, is starting to make his mark in the music industry. Tucker started uploading music in 2016 through SoundCloud. His fanbase was small and under 150 at most. Eventually, in 2017, he released his debut EP, Arizona in the Summer. This caught the eyes of some more music-lovers for its lo-fi pop sound. In 2018, his EP Oh, how perfect, as well as singles “hello!” and “minimal,” helped him start to build a bigger following and gain more popularity. Tucker got into a relationship with businesswoman Emma Chamberlain. You can see her effect on his songwriting. His first-ever full album, Rx, has themes of love, self-reflection, relationships, and much more. In 2023, Tucker’s life changed, for the worse and for the better; Emma and Tucker broke up in October that year. His album Kansas Anymore was influenced by this moment in his life. He released four singles to promote his album, “Oh, Gemini,” “Deeply Still in Love,” “Look At That Woman,” and “Scumbag.” Tucker gained much fame from this album because of his talent, but also for every other aspect of him. What sets him apart from other celebrities is that you can see he truly cares for his fans. Tucker knows he wouldn’t be anywhere without them and repeatedly states how thankful he is for them. “I didn’t think anyone would care. To my surprise, a lot of you … cared, and I love you for being there for me.” He makes a point for his fans to be noticed and for them to know how much they mean to him exactly.
When it comes to stage presence, Role Model is the king. Ever since his 100 crowd venue days, he has known how to get the crowd dancing. As you watch him perform, you can tell how much he loves what he’s doing. Whether he is singing a song about never settling for less with the biggest smile on his face, or making sure the cameraman has the big screens focused on his rear, Role Model likes to make his live performances very fun. To do this, he adds many fun traditions throughout the show. In his song “Sally When The Wine Runs Out,” there is a part talking about a girl being a diva. When he arrives at this part of the song while performing, a fan or a celebrity is brought onto the stage. Some of his most well-known “Sallys” are Natalie Portman, Kate Hudson, Conan Gray, Hillary Duff, Olivia Rodrigo, and many more. He makes the fans feel special during his performances. Another one of his many traditions is in his song “Oh, Gemini.” This tradition is simpler; he makes eye contact with a fan along the barricade and sings the “Oh, Gemini” bridge to them. One of the most popular traditions for his fans takes place in his song “The Longest Goodbye.” During the second chorus, he says the lyrics, “I was a headache some days, but surely no one’s perfect, you said lovin’ me is like doing a chore.” After he sings this part, the crowd erupts in the words, “Baby, I’ll do the dishes.” This became a tradition after one of Tucker’s biggest fans, Gray, posted a reaction video to her song. She was in the midst of crying when she told the camera the sentence that changed the song.
While Tucker might now be getting all the fame he deserves, it took a lot of work to get to this point. Tucker grew up in Portland, Maine. He was born on May 15, 1997, and is now 28 years old. In many interviews, he has said he never thought about going into music as a kid. He originally went to college in Pittsburgh to study filmmaking. Role Model wasn’t someone whose parents used their fame to get their kid to the top of the charts; he had to put in all the work to build everything up. He is living proof that if you work hard enough towards something, you can achieve it. From his 2017 rap songs to his 2024 ballads, he has always been this way. “I don’t want to glamorize being sad – I just want people to know it’s okay to feel things deeply.” Throughout his whole career, Tucker has always made a point to let his fans know that they aren’t alone in whatever situation they are in.
From a small town in Maine to the main stage at Austin City Limits, Role Model is an artist like no other. Tucker, my future husband, is truly exceptional.
