Introducing Chappell Roan: the intergalactic, queer, pop-princess of our dreams.

Although many may not know her name yet, there is no doubt that this singer-songwriter will leave a glittered mark on the music industry. Following the release of her debut single “Pink Pony Club” in 2020, Roan embarked on a years-long journey to develop a premier album unlike any other. After three years, Roan’s  endeavor bore its fruit in the form of her new album “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess,” released Sept 22, 2023. 

The album delves into a variety of feelings and experiences that are, of course, unique but also incredibly vast and universal. The record is deeply emotional in many aspects. When Chappell Roan does a breakup song, she does it right. The album’s single “Casual”, originally released in 2022, is perhaps the record’s most emotionally charged song, with gut wrenching lyrics and a relatability that stings and aches. However, “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” is not a breakup album, nor is it a collection of elegies.

At its core, “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” is about a gay awakening. Roan was born Kayleigh Rose Amstutz of Willard, Missouri, a small, conservative town of about 6,000 residents. She later journeyed far from home to the vibrant and bustling city of Los Angeles, California, in pursuit of music and a search for personal identity. This story is adapted in Roan’s 2020 single “Pink Pony Club” which chronicles a young, Tennessee woman who moves to LA to become an exotic dancer, despite all odds and a lack of familiar support. Although she misses home, she finds herself embraced by a diverse community and able to take pride in her identity. Similarly, the queer led spaces of the LA underground is where the timid Kayleigh Rose transformed into the eccentric and empowered persona that is Chappell Roan. “Chappell is a quasi-drag persona for her—while Kayleigh is slightly shy, Chappell is outspoken and fabulous. In performer mode, she goes all out: colorful eyeshadow, go-go boots, and her signature long red curls bouncing about her,” said Vogue.

In an interview with Variety, Roan said, “I love the queer community. When queer people are together, it’s the happiest, most vibrant feeling…The shows are a way for me to give a safe space to queer people and to have fun and dress up. It feels like magic on stage. I’m literally getting teary-eyed because it’s everything I ever wanted.” 

Although the singer’s queer identity is a keystone within her work, with the album chronicling the birth and the acceptance of her own queerness, the artist also looks to inspire a “gay awakening” within her audience and the world around her; she does this in more ways than one, incorporating the most ancient interpretations of the concept. 

The word ‘gay’ dates back to the 12th century, originally ‘gai’, and was defined as meaning joyful, carefree, bright, and flamboyant. Although the album features tear-jerking tracks about heartbreak of all kinds, Roan then encourages listeners to come back, to discover joy, to have  fun, to smile, laugh, and be authentic regardless of others’ perceptions or judgments. The record accurately reflects real life, while motivating the audience to live for and love themselves. To experience this album is to wipe away the tears, reapply your lip gloss, and hit the dance floor; it is to curl your hair, dust glitter on your tired eyes, and return ready and excited to face the world; it is to be a phoenix rising from the ashes.