Chappell Roan is the name on everyone’s mind and has been unanimously elected “pop’s next big thing” after the release of her critically acclaimed debut album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. Here’s the rundown of why so many people are starting to consider album one of the best debuts by a pop star ever.
Chappell Roan is bringing back what I like to call “fun pop” music: catchy beats, unserious lyrics, and even dances that go along with certain songs. The song “Femininomenon” captures this perfectly, showing how she doesn’t take herself too seriously, all while giving us incredible vocals and a taste of her sapphic lyrics about how she wants a female romance after so many failed boyfriends. Part of what is so refreshing about Roan’s music is the fact that she is so unapologetically gay, and many people find her songs relatable to their own queer experience. After this, we jump right into “Red Wine Supernova,”one of the more popular singles, featuring some of the most fun and witty lyrics from the whole album. Roan keeps the party going with dancing songs like “After Midnight” and “Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl.” However, in the middle of our party, Roan hits you with the gut-punching ballads of “Coffee” and “Casual.” “Casual” has this haunting melody with a story about continuously getting your heart broken in a “casual” relationship that, to the singer, is not casual at all. It is, dare I say, the best song on the entire album; so many people relate to this experience, particularly queer women, and it’s such a beautiful and heartbreaking way to describe a specific situation that many people find themselves in. I highly recommend checking out the music video (check out all of them, they’re amazing but especially this one). After crying, we get into one of the more viral songs of the bunch, “Hot to Go!,” with its bouncing beat and accompanying dance. This one has become a staple in car rides for me, and I do often find myself fighting the urge to take my hands off the wheel to spell H-O-T T-O G-O. The song is such a creative take on a cheerleader-esque beat and is as if you bottled up pure fun and put it on Spotify. Following this, we slide into the dark sounds of “My Kink is Karma” and “Picture You,” which are very different songs, don’t get it twisted, but both describe feelings towards an ex-lover with deeper synth beats that heavily feature Roan’s incredible lower register. “Kaleidoscope” is one of the most underrated songs on this album in my opinion– the story, the high notes, the simple piano instrumentation; the song just sounds like how a stained glass window or a kaleidoscope would, and it’s just an incredible feat by Roan. Now we reach the second time I cry on this album, this time in tears of happiness. “Pink Pony Club” is so significant as a queer anthem and really summarizes the journey Roan herself had moving from Missouri to LA and coming into her own not only as an artist but as a gay woman. It’s a track so full of joy, only amplified by all the work Chappell Roan has done for the LGBTQ+ community, like donating to various charities and having local drag queens open all her shows, often even going as far to dress in drag herself. This dance party carries over to “Naked in Manhattan” and “Guilty Pleasure,” which both take inspiration from 80’s synth-pop and are, in simple terms, songs about having a great time dating women. “California,” Roan’s love letter to her hometown, is wedged between these two and describes her longing to leave her new city despite loving it so much.
With that, we have gone through the rise and fall of our favorite Midwest princess, Chappell Roan. Coming off of opening for Olivia Rodrigo on her GUTS tour and more recently, her Coachella sets, Chappell is big and only getting bigger. With her entering the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time with her single “Good Luck, Babe!,” it’s clear things are just beginning for Roan, and I can’t wait to watch her continue to rise (and hopefully not fall).
