If you haven’t noticed, Chappell Roan is taking the 2024 music festival scene by storm. From her breathtaking performance at Coachella to her pointed message at the Gov Ball in New York, the Missouri-born, campy synth-pop icon has been the moment these past few months, with no signs of slowing down.
At her sets, listeners have raved over her songs, which mostly come from her first studio album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, released in September 2023. Songs like “Red Wine Supernova” and “My Kink is Karma” are being sung word for word at these festivals, but there’s one song in particular that has the crowd going super hard: “Pink Pony Club.” The song — which is featured on Roan’s debut album but was actually released over four years ago — is iconic for so many reasons, but it’s also sparked a bit of mystery, with some (myself included) wondering: Is the Pink Pony Club a real place?
“Pink Pony Club” is a vibrant and nostalgic anthem that whisks listeners to a world of self-discovery, acceptance, and freedom. It’s the story of a young girl who breaks free from the confines of her conservative hometown and dives headfirst into the vibrant, liberating nightlife of West Hollywood. She finds herself on stage at the Pink Pony Club, a place where she can unapologetically be herself. With lyrics like, ” heard that there’s a special place where boys and girls can all be queens every single day,” Roan captures the essence of seeking and embracing one’s true self, even if it means stepping out of one’s comfort zone.
In an interview with Headliner magazine, Roan revealed the Pink Pony Club isn’t exactly a specific place. However, it was heavily inspired by her first encounter with the Abbey, a gay bar in West Hollywood. After she had visited the WeHo bar, it took Roan only a week to produce the song in its entirety.
“Everyone was having a great time; it was magical,” Roan told the outlet about her time there. “I just felt like I belonged there, and that really changed my life. It’s something that I couldn’t really have experienced here in Missouri — in my small town at least. It was completely eye-opening and changed my direction from that point on.”
To me, this song is a message that everyone should have the chance to seek their version of the Pink Pony Club, to put yourself first and protect your peace by finding a space where you feel welcomed with open arms, regardless of what other people think. In the meantime, this song can serve as a (very real) safe haven for you.