Recognizable by her fiery red curls, drag makeup and lavish costumes, Chappell Roan (born Kayleigh Rose Amstutz) has recently emerged as one of America’s biggest pop stars. Roan has performed at music events around the country, drawing in massive crowds, and plans to make an anticipated appearance at the Outside Lands Music Festival in San Francisco on Sunday, Aug. 11.
Roan debuted with the EP “School Nights” in 2017. But it wasn’t until after the 2023 release of her album “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess,” containing upbeat songs about identity, love and the artist’s upbringing in a small town in Missouri, that her popularity grew. Her weekly streams are now over 20 times greater than they were in January.
This album marked a drastic shift in her style and lyrics. While songs in her EP were meant to have a moody vibe and lean towards the “dark pop” genre, her newer tracks aimed to be “something that people could party to.” Roan also took her overall image to the next level by incorporating makeup inspired by drag queens such as Divine. She became even more well known earlier this year after opening for Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS tour and after videos of her Coachella performances went viral online.
Roan is best known for her striking costumes and makeup. She performed at this year’s Governors Ball Music Festival dressed as the Statue of Liberty, painted head-to-toe in green, and sang at The Tonight Show costumed as a feathery swan. Along with her stunning visual appearance, her distinctive voice, characterized by her wide vocal range and ability to yodel, makes her a must-see act at any festival — you can expect to see audience members performing the iconic “HOT TO GO!” dance alongside her.
Abigail Lee ‘27, a new Roan fan, said that the artist’s current success can be attributed to her confidence and the fact that she is “unconditionally herself.”
“I think a lot of the audience she has curated, or that gravitates towards her, really appreciates the [action] she’s [taking] now, especially as she’s doing so at the peak of her popularity,” Lee said. “It seems like she’s trying to push a greater message rather than just ride the wave of her fame.”
Roan’s activism also sets her apart from other mainstream artists. The artist speaks out on topics such as transgender rights, women’s rights and “freedom for all oppressed people in occupied territories” to her large audience. Her advocacy has empowered fans online and in-person.
Roan also uses her platform to speak publicly about her identity as a lesbian and to advocate for LGBTQ+ rights across all communities.
Although Roan was invited to perform at the White House’s Pride Event, she refused on the grounds of unresolved inequality throughout America. During her Governors Ball performance, Roan discussed her reasoning for turning down the opportunity: “We want liberty, freedom and justice for all. When you do that, that’s when I’ll come.”
Roan’s lyrics are wildly refreshing in today’s music scene, with many of her songs being openly queer and sex-positive. In “Pink Pony Club,” Roan highlights joy and authenticity as a queer person, singing “Oh mama, I’m just having fun on the stage in my heels” and “I’m gonna keep on dancing at the Pink Pony Club.”
Longtime fan Pallavi Kambham ’27 believes that, although Roan’s success is ultimately a culmination of many years of hard work, it was the release of her new album that allowed her to appeal to a wider audience and, in particular, the queer community.
“Her music penetrated an audience that didn’t have something like this before,” Kambham said. “It’s rare to see lesbian music that’s so upbeat and happy, so positive.”
But Roan is no stranger to writing about more melancholy aspects of queer identity. In her hit single “Good Luck, Babe!” Roan sings angrily about compulsory heterosexuality, describing a woman who would rather marry a man than acknowledge her sexual attraction to another woman.
Roan’s rise to popularity can also be partially attributed to social media. It was platforms like TikTok that ultimately turned her into an international sensation. TikTok “For You” Pages are populated with over 200,000 videos of creators recreating her makeup looks, lip-syncing to her hit “Casual” or even simply posting videos of her performances.
Yet Roan undoubtedly strays far from the common TikTok phenomenon of the “one-hit wonder.” Five of her songs acquired over 100 million streams on Spotify.
“I think TikTok works for many artists’ marketability in the industry because it is both accessible and inexpensive,” Kambham said. “A social media app like Tiktok gives her fans an opportunity to take [inspiration from Roan] and run with it, and it’s fantastic because it helps her advance as an artist.”
Roan’s fresh sound and relatable lyrics have earned her an ever-growing audience, fostering a sense of unity between people of all backgrounds and identities. Her ability to celebrate pop music in a unique and eye-catching style truly set her apart in the music industry.
Editor’s Note: This article is a review and includes subjective thoughts, opinions and critiques.