Social media personality Emma Chamberlain has a valid explanation for why she continues to date musicians.
“To quote Sabrina Carpenter, ‘I swear they choose me. I’m not choosing them,’” Chamberlain, 24, said on the Thursday, November 28, episode of the “In Your Dreams” podcast, referencing Carpenter’s “Manchild” lyrics. “I have never slid into the DM of a musician — only ever has the music man slid into mine.”
Chamberlain further claimed that she’s never “walked up to” a man in music at a bar either.
“I don’t walk up to anyone at a bar, and I don’t really slide into anyone’s DMs,” she said. “They do come to me, but I also am absolutely very attracted to me in music. … I kind of can’t figure out what it is.”
Chamberlain was first romantically linked to Role Model (real name Tucker Pillsbury) in 2022, nearly one year before they made their public debut. Chamberlain and Role Model, 28, split in 2023, and the next year she moved on with Peter McPoland. Chamberlain announced on her eponymous podcast earlier this month that she was single.
While speaking on Owen Thiele’s podcast, Chamberlain reflected on how her two relationships began.
“The first time it was random that he made music, like, that was [during] COVID,” Chamberlain said of her romance with Role Model. “That was irrelevant, like, I didn’t care.”
In the years since Chamberlain and Role Model split, he released his Kansas Anymore album in 2024. A handful of fans have since theorized that there are multiple references to Chamberlain.
“It is interesting. I learned about my own relationship through the music,” Chamberlain said, addressing the fan speculation. “I’ve learned truly how, perhaps, people have felt about me through music. [It’s] great, but it’s also kind of weird when you hear more in the music than in real life. It’s like, ‘Really, you feel that way?’”
She continued, “People who make music, that’s their art [and] that’s their expression. That’s how they share their feelings [and] their emotions. It makes complete sense that it’s going to be a safer space almost than [when they’re] in a relationship to speak freely.”
While Chamberlain did not mention Role Model by name on the podcast, she did acknowledge that she tries to “learn from” the musical comparisons.
“I’m almost, like, digging into it myself,” she said, noting that she likes to analyze the song lyrics. “I’m curious about their true feelings, even if we’re in a relationship. It’s like, ‘What do they really feel?’ It’s nice because you get more info, but it is also emotionally turbulent. It’s odd, but I’m addicted to it.”
When Chamberlain started dating McPoland, 25, last year, she was similarly unaware of his musical pursuits.
“The second time, when I met the person, I didn’t know they made music,” the YouTube maven said, alluding to McPoland. “I found out later, and I was, like, ‘Oh, now, we’re doing this again.’ … It was an accident.”
With her past relationships in the rearview mirror, Chamberlain is now looking toward her next chapter.
“I’ve had quite a few boyfriends, but I’ve had very short breaks in between, meaning I haven’t really been single. It’s a little bit daunting to be in this place now where I’m single again,” she said on her “Anything Goes” podcast earlier this month. “This time, I know I should be single for a little bit longer than two or three months. I think this time I need to be single for, like, a year.”
