In a culture of ever-evolving music and trends, 26 year old Chappell Roan has recently been able to put her stamp on the music industry as of recent. Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, or Chappell Roan, is an up and coming pop artist that has made quite the splash within the last year.
The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess is Roan’s debut record, released September 22, 2023. The album tackled Roan’s shift from her Midwest upbringing to the life of the queer scene in Los Angeles. This theme is one described in the track “Pink Pony Club”, in which Roan details the contrast between where she came from and the nightclubs in West Hollywood.
The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess has other themes such as sexuality, discovery, and self-acceptance. Roan expertly matches topics with a lot of under-the-surface depth with amazing vocal performance and extremely fun deliveries.
An album highlight is the pop-anthem “Red Wine Supernova”, the second track on the record. In the song, Roan talks about her experiences developing relationships with other women. “I’m in the hallway waitin’ for ya/ Mini skirt and my go-go boots/ I just want you to make a move/ So slow down, sit down, it’s new.”
Roan also isn’t afraid to discuss her Christian upbringing and how it affects her grasp on her sexuality. In “Naked In Manhattan”, Roan sings “touch me, baby, put your lips on mine / Could go to hell but we’ll probably be fine.”
On September 13, 2023, Roan took to her social media accounts to announce herself as an opener for Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts World Tour. Roan and Rodrigo share a producer in Dan Nigro, causing a connection between the two artists.
During her stint in Rodrigo’s tour, Roan went on a small headline tour of her own in some cities in between the shows. For this headliner, as well as her headlining tour in 2023, Roan has invited local drag queens to perform as openers at the shows.
A large part of Roan’s brand is her campy and fun aesthetic, heavily inspired by the art of drag. She has told publications like NME that she considers herself to be a drag persona, and would want other people to think of her in that way as well.
Earlier this year, Roan posted a clip from a new song on her social media accounts, successfully teasing something new for fans. The song is called “Good Luck, Babe!” and was released on April 5. The track contains lyrics about a girl that refuses to accept her identity as a queer person. Roan sings “You could kiss a hundred boys in bars/ Shoot another shot, try to stop the feeling/ You can say it’s just the way you are/Make a new excuse, another stupid reason.”
The bridge of the song delves further into what the future of this girl may be if she doesn’t accept her own identity. “When you wake up next to him in the middle of the night/ WIth your head in your hands, you’re nothing more than his wife/ And when you think about me, all of those years ago/ You’re standing face to face with ‘I told you so.’”
“Good Luck, Babe!” has blown up quickly on social media apps such as TikTok, where people are posting videos dissecting the lyrics and relating them to personal experiences with the hashtag “goodluckbabe.”
Roan herself has even posted videos onto the platform of her and her friends performing a dance that she created to the track.
Roan has been able to tap into the queer music space and make serious waves within the last year. Her genuine relatability juxtaposed with her fun persona has played a huge role in her massive cultural appeal.
