“My name is Chappell Roan. I’m your favorite artist’s favorite artist.” Bold words from a bold new artist at the center of the public eye right now, but these words seem to ring truer and truer every day.
Chappell Roan has exploded in popularity in the last few months, but who is she?
Roan, real name Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, has captured the attention of the world in what seems like an instant. From opening for Olivia Rodrigo to record-breaking festival sets to the song of the summer, Roan has been riding high.
Roan released her debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, in September 2023 to decent success, but it wasn’t until the release of her single “Good Luck, Babe!” in April 2024 that she really took off. The single launched her from a rising artist opening for Olivia Rodrigo to an upcoming superstar who could probably fill arenas if she tried.
Major festival performances, including Coachella, Bonnaroo, and Lollapalooza (where Roan drew the biggest crowd in the festival’s history) have only served to rocket Roan even further into stardom.
What makes Chappell Roan so different from any other pop star, though? What’s the secret ingredient that sets her apart?
Roan is openly lesbian and incorporates that, as well as elements of drag queen culture, into her music and packages it in accessible, danceable, campy, and fun songs. She’s not just making standard radio-friendly cookie-cutter pop music, she’s making interesting and at times thought-provoking art.
The rising star takes heavy inspiration from 80s and early 2000s pop, but updates it with a modern sound and modern themes. She takes what made the music from those eras so fun and adds her own flavor to it.
I first discovered Chappell Roan’s music in April of this year, just as she released smash hit “Good Luck, Babe!” to massive acclaim.
I’m not particularly her main demographic as someone who listens almost exclusively to the Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin, and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, but something about her music just speaks to me.
Something in Chappell Roan’s music just hits me in my soul. She’s seriously unserious, and her attitude and aesthetic are striking.
Even though the themes in her songs could not be farther from applying to me, her music just makes me want to groove. It’s the type of music that can be enjoyed by everyone, not just its target audience.
It’s fun! It’s enjoyable! It’s accessible! It’s interesting! Roan puts her whole self into her art and it really shines through.
So many people like me, who wouldn’t really listen to the style of music she makes otherwise, are drawn to her confident on-stage persona and the energy she brings with her.
Songs like “Good Luck, Babe!,” “Femininomenon,” “HOT TO GO!,” and “Red Wine Supernova” display the type of hairbrush-microphone tunes she puts out.
“Good Luck, Babe!” may have been the catalyst for Roan’s stardom, “HOT TO GO!” is probably the most representative of her current catalog and vibe. With its own “YMCA”-style dance, in which people spell out the words HOT TO GO with their arms, and its earworm chorus, “HOT TO GO!” practically requires listeners to get up and dance.
Roan’s fame hasn’t come without its consequences, however.
In August, Roan took to TikTok and Instagram to share her experience with “weird” and “creepy” fans overstepping and harassing her and people close to her.
She was met with support from fans, who applauded her for being open and authentic.
And that’s really what Chappell Roan is all about: authenticity. She is unapologetically herself, and that’s what endears her to so many people from so many different demographics.
