Photo: JASON KEMPIN
It is the kind of "overnight success" that has taken 10 years, but it seems US singer Chappell Roan has broken through the collective pop culture consciousness, marking her territory.
The 26-year-old is just beginning but already, she has broken festival records - pulling in the largest day-time audience at Lollapalooza in Chicago with 110,000 people; made late-night TV show appearances and performed a NPR Tiny Desk Concert.
Photo: ANGELA WEISS
Her album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess currently sits at number three on the Billboard 200. The album clearly takes inspiration from '80s synth pop. The Spinoff's Duncan Grieve has described her as part of the "hypermelodic and horny" pop wave, which sees her joining the likes of Sabrina Carpenter and Billie Eilish with explicit, playful and sexual lyrics.
At the recent VMAs she won 'the moon man' for Best New Artist and performed her hit 'Good Luck Babe'.
Born Kayleigh Amstutz, she is from Willard Missouri which has a population of only 6000 people. Chappell Roan first uploaded an original song in 2015 to YouTube and was signed to Atlantic Records. She released her debut EP in 2017 and in 2020 her single, Pink Pony Club was the start of her rise. But she was dropped by the record label that same year. She became an independent artist but has since signed with Island Records before releasing her album.
Former ZM broadcaster and music fan, Cam Mansell speaks to Culture 101 about the Chappell Roan effect.
"Coming from a small town, it's an opportunity to get those local superfans. She would have been performing a lot and posting covers on YouTube would have expanded her online success."
She was dropped by her producer, in favour of fellow singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo but was then brought back to open for Rodrigo for her The Guts World Tour in early 2024.
A large part of her appeal is being unapologetically herself.
"In the age of social media, it's so important for artists because people see who you are on social media and if you're not that in real life - there's a real disconnect."
Photo: Jason Kempin
Pair that with a clear and bold artistic vision, including in her dramatic onstage appearances.
"There's a certain element of cosplay and drag in her performances. The young generation is very much into the likes of RuPaul's Drag Race and more unapologetic - they're more willing to experiment with their identity."
Chappell Roan also speaks openly about queerness and specifically addresses fans in the midwest, telling them she "sees them."
For millennials, this will be reminiscent of Lady Gaga and, perhaps for Gen X, Madonna. An artist that repeatedly reinvents themselves to both buck and stay on trend but remains "authentically" themselves.
"Authentic" is a word that gets thrown around too much and Mansell is reluctant to use it but says every so often there's an artist that "personifies that word."
But rather than the shock value Mansell felt with Gaga, he finds there's more intrigue and mystery with Chappell Roan.
She also refuses to play the fame game.
Speaking to her followers on the social media platform, TikTok, she discusses the familiarity fans have with her because she's famous and the expectations they have of her.
In regards to those who've levelled abuse at her family, or stalked them, the singer says "I don't care that this crazy type of behaviour comes along with the job, the career field I've chosen. That does not make it OK, that doesn't make it normal."
Going one step further, the artist recently disabled comments on a post about drawing lines and boundaries between her personal life, work and not accepting any kind of harassment from inside and outside the industry.
"I'm not afraid of the consequences for demanding respect," the singer wrote while writing about "predatory behaviour disguised as superfan behaviour".
There are rumours she is heading to New Zealand in February. Whether it would be as part of a festival or a solo show is still unknown. Fans will eagerly be awaiting confirmation.
