Chappell Roan’s pop reign is only just beginning
by Savannah Roberts @savannahsocials @wordsbysavannah
Is it just me or do I hear “My name is Chappell Roan. I’m your dream girl’s, dream girl” almost every time I open any social media app? I have to admit, I am not mad about it at all.
Chappell Roan is taking 2024 by storm. She’s seeing the kind of ‘overnight success’ that can only be born from years of hard work. With the prowess of a drag queen and singing chops of a diva, it’s no wonder that the 26-year-olds musical project has Gen Z and beyond in a firm chokehold. The ‘Red Wine Supernova’ star is experiencing a cosmic rise, she’s being cited as the most exciting newcomer since Lady Gaga, she’s a support act for one of the most gutsy tours of the year, and TikTok’s is unequivocally in love with her. From deciphering the meaning of “knee-deep in the passenger seat” to making a make-up trend out of her stage looks – your FYP can’t escape 2024’s most exciting new performer.
In the last few months alone, Chappell’s success has skyrocketed from sizeable to damn near inescapable and her dedicated audience is snowballing towards household name status – no easy feat. Her NPR Tiny Desk concert instantly enamoured the internet, at first it was the flawless vocals vocals and unparalleled stage presence, then viewers fell in love with the purposefully camp lipstick-on-teeth make-up – how could you not?
“I’m your favourite artist’s, favourite artist. I’m your dream girl’s, dream girl. And I’m going to serve exactly what you are…. ”
Last month’s Coachella set a new fire that shows no signs of burning out. It spawned article after article, her quotable quips and larger-than-life costumes made he the perfect moth to a pop culture flame. Clips comparing the H-O-T-T-O-G-O dance rippling through the festival crowd in synchrnociity to her early 2023 tour dates just shows how much her influence has risen in just a year alone. Chappell’s charisma and camp is contagious, no wonder she’s been able to conjure choreography that the masses embrace.
“If it’s not bold, if it’s not ruffling feathers, what’s the point?”
For those late to the game on the work of art that is Roan’s debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, fear not. Roan cemented her Woman of the Moment status an impressive six months after her record first landed – already hinting that this is the start of a new era. ‘Good Luck, Babe’ has all the makings of the song of the summer. It’s many songs rolled into one, a synth-decorated hit, a Cyndi Lauper-inspired bridge, a queer anthem. middle of the night. It’s the ‘Girls Just Want To Have Fun’ of the modern day, through a sapphic lens.
“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”
Roan branded the instant streaming success as the first song of her “next chapter,” revealing to Rolling Stone that it’s “about wishing good luck to someone who is denying fate.” She explores the experience of dating a closeted girl, sincerely-potentially-not-so-sincerely wishing them good luck. She penned the track alongside Justin Tranter and Daniel Nigro, the latter of which who you may recognise as Olivia Rodrigo’s collaborator and producer.
Following pop’s recent season of introspective, synth-led bedroom pop, Chappell has cut through the noise with colour, confidence and an unapologetic mission. Live performance is at the forefront of her art form – and it’s a masterclass. The napologetically explicit lyricism is reminiscent of the turning tides, women are being loud about their sexual desire and are by no means mincing their words (Further reading: The Last Dinner Party’s infectious lyric that feels too good to howl along to: “And I will fuck you, like nothing matters.”)
Before there was Chappell Roan, there was Kayleigh, who gained OG fans in the likes of YouTuber Connor Franta and online-persona-turned-mainstream-artist, Troye Sivan and recent breakout musician, Noah Kahan. So, the writing has been on the wall for sometime when it comes to Chappell/Kayleigh’s undeniable talent – 2024 is only just catching on.
A cheeky Google Trends search shows just how the interest surrounding the artist’s career has proliferated over the past 12 months. Considering these statistics it looks like Chappell’s big breakout moment culminated in that electric double weekend Coachella festival in April.
Her deep cuts can make you dance and cause a sting, she can lift you up with ‘After Midnight’ and make you cry with ‘Coffee’. She takes to the stage in loud and ethereal costume, she adorns her single artwork sporting a prosthetic pig nose. Nobody is doing it like her.
Essentially, all of this is to say: Keep your eyes on Chappell Roan. With her supporting run on Rodrigo’s Guts World Tour wrapped she’s preparing for a slew of festival appearances this summer. For those in the UK, well you’re lucky enough to have a tour coming your way from the Midwest Princess. September can’t come soon enough, we can only predict that her star would have reached ever more astronomical heights by then.