Chappell Roan
Chappell Roan crouching onstage in a pink and black jumpsuit. She is holding a microphone and pointing.
Chappell Roan at the Vogue Theater in 2022
Background information
Birth nameKayleigh Rose Amstutz
Born (1998-02-19) February 19, 1998
Willard, Missouri, U.S.
GenresDark pop
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Years active2017–present
Labels
Websiteiamchappellroan.com

Kayleigh Rose Amstutz (born February 19, 1998), known professionally as Chappell Roan (/ˌtʃæpəl ˈroʊn/ CHAP-əl ROHN), is an American singer and songwriter. She writes most of her own songs and has described her style as "dark pop with ballad undertones".

When she was 17 years old, Roan uploaded a song titled "Die Young" to YouTube, leading Atlantic Records to sign her to the label. In summer 2020, she released a song titled "Pink Pony Club", which Vulture described as "the Song of Summer 2021". Her debut album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess was released on September 22, 2023 through Island Records, Amusement Records, and KRA International.[1]

Early life

Chappell Roan was born Kayleigh Rose Amstutz in Willard, Missouri.[2] She took the stage name Chappell Roan in honor of her grandfather Dennis K. Chappell, who died of brain cancer in 2016; his favorite song was "The Strawberry Roan".[3][4] She has expressed dislike for her birth name.[4]

When she was 10 or 11, she began playing the piano.[5] At 14 or 15 years old, she began uploading covers of songs to YouTube, drawing attention from various record labels.[6] When she entered her teen years she began songwriting.[5] When she was 17 years old, she uploaded an original song titled "Die Young" to YouTube.[2][7] She subsequently traveled to New York for several musical showcases, which led to her signing with music label Atlantic Records.[8] Roan later described missing many childhood experiences in the "messy" beginning of her music career, including prom and her high school graduation.[3]

Roan lived with her parents in Missouri through 2017, flying with them to Los Angeles or New York City when necessary. In 2018, she moved to Los Angeles, where she was able to live openly as a queer woman for the first time.[3]

Musical career

2017–2019: Early releases

On August 3, 2017, Roan released her first single, titled "Good Hurt". The song was reviewed favorably in Interview, in which an article praised her "striking maturity and surprisingly deep vocals".[9][7] On September 22, 2017, she released an EP titled School Nights through Atlantic Records.[8] Also in 2017, she went on her first concert tour, the Lay It On Me Tour headlined by Vance Joy.[10]

In 2018, Roan moved to Los Angeles from Springfield, Missouri.[2][11] She later described feeling "overwhelmed with complete love and acceptance" after the move, stating that it allowed her to begin "writing songs as the real me".[12] From January to March 2018, she toured the United States with Declan McKenna.[6]

2020–2021: "Pink Pony Club"

Roan began working with Dan Nigro in early 2020.[13] In April 2020, Roan released "Pink Pony Club". The single was produced by Dan Nigro, and its music video was directed by Griffin Stoddard.[2][11] A year after its release, Vulture described "Pink Pony Club" as "the Song of Summer 2021", calling it a "synthy infectious bangarang".[2] The song tells the story of a girl who leaves the small town where she lives to become a stripper in West Hollywood.[2] Roan has cited a visit to The Abbey, a gay bar in West Hollywood, as the inspiration for it.[11][12] She told Cherwell that the song was about her desire to become a go-go dancer in Los Angeles, stating, "truthfully, I'm not confident enough to do that, so I wrote a song about it".[4]

USA Today ranked the song third on a list of the "10 best songs of 2020"; an accompanying description characterized it as dance-pop that "earnestly [celebrates] queer culture, acceptance and chasing your dreams."[14] By August 2022, the song had been streamed more than 10 million times on Spotify.[4]

"Pink Pony Club" was not profitable enough for Atlantic, who dropped Roan from the label in 2020. Her partner of four years broke up with her the same week, and she spent the next two years working as a production assistant as well as a barista and nanny to support herself. In early 2021, the success of Olivia Rodrigo's song "Drivers License" shifted Dan Nigro's focus from Roan as he worked on Sour with Rodrigo; Roan was unable to find a collaborator whom she liked as much.[3]

2022–present: The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess

Roan at the Vogue Theatre, November 2022

In March 2022, Roan released a single titled "Naked in Manhattan". The song was her first release in two years, and her first as an independent artist. It was described by NPR as a "queer girl bop" with lyrics that are "tender, nostalgic" and "flirty yet uncertain".[15] Roan also was selected as the opening act for Olivia Rodrigo for performances on Rodrigo's Sour Tour,[3][16][17] and for Fletcher on her "Girl of My Dreams Tour".[17]

In August 2022, she released a second independent single, "Femininomenon". Earmilk described the song as "so fun and loud but so intricate" and noted that it was different from Roan's past releases.[18] Roan stated that the song, which was produced by Dan Nigro, was an attempt to "get away with being as ridiculous as I possibly can".[18] An accompanying self-directed music video featured Roan riding a dirt bike.[18]

Roan released another single, "Casual", in 2022 after beginning work on it with Dan Nigro in 2020. The song, which has lyrics dissing a romantic partner who refuses to commit, was inspired by a brief relationship Roan had during the pandemic that ended with her partner saying they had met someone else. Morgan St. Jean additionally worked on the song, which has a sad sound inspired by Mazzy Star and Radiohead.[3]

In 2023, Roan kicked off a "Naked in North America Tour". She shared a theme with fans for each stop on the tour, suggesting outfits and providing makeup tutorials on social media[17] while making her own camp outfits herself.[3] Concerts from the tour received positive reviews in The Harvard Crimson[17] and Variety, with Jem Aswad describing it as a concert where "you recognize when a new-ish artist's career is about to blast off" similar to Billie Eilish in 2019 or Lorde in 2013 and characterizing Roan as a superstar.[13] Roan additionally signed to Island Records under Dan Nigro's imprint Amusement Records and KRA International.[13][19][20][21]

On May 17, she released a single from her upcoming album, "Red Wine Supernova", with an accompanying music video.[3] On September 13, it was announced that Roan would open for Olivia Rodrigo's Guts World Tour in the United States and Canada from February to April 2024.[22][23] On September 22, Roan released her debut full-length album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess.[24] Also in September, she began her second headlining tour of North America, the Midwest Princess Tour. Roan plans to donate $1 per ticket sold to the nonprofit For the Gworls.[25][26][27]

Style

Chappell Roan writes most of her songs by herself, but has co-written some with other songwriters.[9] After the release of her debut single "Good Hurt", her style was described in Interview as "pop sound [...] infused with a dark and unsettling tone that underscores her intense, somber lyrics".[7] In 2018, she described her musical style as a mix of organic and electronic sounds, with a pop tone,[6] and as "dark pop with ballad undertones".[5] In her songs written while she was a teenager, according to Atwood Magazine, she "brought the hardship and turbulence of our teenaged years to life with a candidness and vividness seldom seen from her peers."[28]

Roan has cited inspirations including the artist Abbey Watkins, the film The Beguiled, and musical artists alt-J,[7] Stevie Nicks, Lorde, and Lana Del Rey.[10] A 2017 review of her debut EP in PopCrush compared her sound to the latter two artists.[29] She has stated that the song "Stay" by Rihanna was what inspired her to begin writing music.[5] In 2023, a Variety article described Roan as "glammy and pop and embracing her femininity and shared Gen-Z generational experiences, and also very queer-positive".[13]

Discography

Chappell Roan discography
Studio albums1
Music videos9
EPs1
Singles12

Studio albums

Title Album details
The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess
  • Released: September 22, 2023
  • Label: Island, Amusement, KRA International

Extended plays

Title EP details
School Nights
  • Released: September 22, 2017
  • Label: Atlantic
  • Format: digital download, streaming media

Singles

Title Year Album
"Good Hurt" 2017 School Nights
"Bitter" 2018 Non-album single
"School Nights"
"Pink Pony Club" 2020 The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess
"Love Me Anyway" Non-album single
"California" The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess
"Naked in Manhattan" 2022
"My Kink Is Karma"
"Femininomenon"
"Casual"
"Kaleidoscope" 2023
"Red Wine Supernova"
"HOT TO GO!"

Music videos

Title Year Director
"Good Hurt" 2017 Griffin Stoddard
"Die Young" 2018 Catie Laffoon
"Sugar High" Ethan Seneker
"Pink Pony Club" 2020 Griffin Stoddard
"Naked in Manhattan" 2022 Ryan Clemens and Chappell Roan
"My Kink Is Karma" Hadley Hillel
"Casual" Ryan Clemens
"Kaleidoscope"
(Official Live Performance)		 2023 Hadley Hillel
"Red Wine Supernova" Ryan Clemens
"HOT TO GO!" Jackie! Zhou

References

  1. ↑ Alter, Rebecca (August 2, 2023). "Chappell Roan Just Wants to Be Hannah Montana". Vulture. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Alter, Rebecca (May 27, 2021). "Sorry But the Song of Summer 2021 Is This Stripper's Delight From Summer 2020". Vulture. Archived from the original on May 27, 2021. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Spanos, Brittany (October 27, 2022). "Chappell Roan Is the Independent 'Thrift Store Pop Star' Ready to Take Over the World". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Ribner, Sonya (August 12, 2022). "Slumber Party Pop: A New Authenticity with Chappell Roan". Cherwell. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Lindsay, Kathryn (January 3, 2018). "The Drop: Exclusive Music Video Premiere For Chappell Roan's "Die Young"". Refinery29. Archived from the original on October 11, 2019. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
  6. 1 2 3 Kato, Brooke (February 20, 2018). "Chappell Roan to show off evolving sound at The Lost Horizon". The Daily Orange. Archived from the original on February 21, 2018. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Czemier, Zuzanna (August 1, 2017). "Exclusive Track & Video Premiere: 'Good Hurt,' Chappell Roan". Interview. Archived from the original on August 5, 2017. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
  8. 1 2 "Chappell Roan's Big Year: How the DIY Indie-Pop Star 'Casual'-ly Thrived in Her Post-Label Era". Billboard.
  9. 1 2 Holman, Gregory J. (August 17, 2017). "Chappell Roan is a singer from Willard. She just made the big time". Springfield News-Leader. Archived from the original on December 26, 2021. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
  10. 1 2 Samel, Ketki (October 5, 2017). "Chappell Roan soars at Herbst Theatre despite lack of audience connection". The Daily Californian. Archived from the original on October 5, 2017. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
  11. 1 2 3 "V Exclusive: Chappell Roan's 'Pink Pony Club' out NOW!". V Magazine. Interview with Chappell Roan. April 3, 2020. Archived from the original on April 5, 2020. Retrieved December 26, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  12. 1 2 Wass, Mike (April 3, 2020). "Chappell Roan Reinvents Herself With Genre-Bending "Pink Pony Club"". idolator. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
  13. 1 2 3 4 Aswad, Jem (March 1, 2023). "Rising Star Chappell Roan Meets Her Moment With Ecstatic New York Show: Concert Review". Variety. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  14. ↑ Ryan, Patrick (December 16, 2020). "The 10 best songs of 2020, including Billie Eilish, The Weeknd and Cardi B". USA Today. Archived from the original on December 16, 2020. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
  15. ↑ Kinnaird, Madeline (March 15, 2022). "Chappell Roan, 'Naked in Manhattan'". NPR. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
  16. ↑ Treadgold, Emily (March 4, 2022). "Chappel Roan's "Naked in Manhattan" is a shimmering story of young love". Earmilk. Retrieved April 23, 2022.
  17. 1 2 3 4 Moiseieva, Anna (March 10, 2023). "Chappell Roan Concert Review: Cambridge's Pink Pony Club | Arts | The Harvard Crimson". The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  18. 1 2 3 Treadgold, Emily (August 17, 2022). "Chappell Roan wants to create a "Femininomenon" [Interview]". Earmilk. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  19. ↑ "Artists". Island Records US. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
  20. ↑ Graves, Shahlin (March 10, 2023). "Watch: Chappell Roan shares 'Casual' music video". Coup de Main. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  21. ↑ "Kaleidoscope – Single by Chappell Roan". Apple Music. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  22. ↑ Garcia, Thania; Shafer, Ellise (September 15, 2023). "Olivia Rodrigo Adds 18 New Dates to 'Guts' World Tour". Variety. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  23. ↑ "Olivia Rodrigo announces 2024 arena world tour with The Breeders, Chappell Roan, PinkPantheress". AP News. September 13, 2023. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  24. ↑ "Chappell Roan shares new track 'HOT TO GO!'". DIY. August 11, 2023. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  25. ↑ Geiger, Amy (May 17, 2023). "Chappell Roan shares "Red Wine Supernova," announces fall tour". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  26. ↑ "Chappell Roan". First Avenue. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  27. ↑ Shafer, Ellise (September 22, 2023). "Confessions of a 'Midwest Princess': How Chappell Roan's Debut Album Arose From the 'Deep Pits of Hell' to Become a 'Dream Come True'". Variety. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
  28. ↑ Mosk, Mitch (February 1, 2018). "Premiere: Chappell Roan's Haunting "Bitter" Dwells in Darkness". Atwood Magazine. Archived from the original on November 2, 2018. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
  29. ↑ Tan, Emily (November 28, 2017). "Chappell Roan Heals a Broken Heart With 'School Nights'". PopCrush. Archived from the original on November 28, 2017. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
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