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Image of Chappell Roan on stage
Image of Chappell Roan on stage
Photo by Justin Higuchi distributed under a CC BY 2.0 license
Culture

Are We Witnessing the Rise and Fall of the Midwest Princess?

Morgan Kilger
The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at SBU chapter.

Over the past six months or so, popstar Chappell Roan has risen to fame. In these months, her fan base has tripled, she’s gone on tour, and released new music. Roan is also known to be unapologetically herself, which I applaud greatly. 

With Roan being herself in the public eye, she’s gained more positive fame from it. She’s adored by fans for being herself and she’s inspiring others to do so. She’s grown from being an underground artist opening for big artists, like Olivia Rodrigo, to having the biggest audience at the Gov Ball in 2024. 

However, not everyone is agreeing with Roan’s self-awareness and the boundaries she’s set. 

In the past few months, Roan set boundaries with fans earlier this year. She doesn’t want to be acknowledged in public, which is fair. Sometimes you need to be left alone while walking the streets minding your own business. 

Fans have been agreeable with this; it’s the dropping out of shows they’re upset about. 

On Sept. 27, Roan announced via Instagram she would no longer be performing in the All Things Go Festival in Washington D.C. and New York City due to her mental and physical health. This is common for artists to do, but Roan’s recent actions made her the bad guy.

In June 2024, Roan announced that her fame is getting too much for her. At a concert in Raleigh, NC, she said, “I think my career is going really fast, and it’s hard to keep up.” Roan’s fans were accepting of this as well, but not after the recent cancellation. 

Fans are also not happy with Roan’s endorsement choices. Roan decided to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris, but will not endorse her. 

Who said a popstar has to endorse a candidate? 

Roan said in an interview with The Guardian that she did this because she wants change, and doesn’t feel the pressure to endorse someone. Roan is facing backlash from this due to the pressure celebrities are facing from their fan bases to endorse their preferred candidate. Roan is not having any of that, but she’s facing major backlash for it. So much so that she’s receiving threats via online platforms.

With all of this controversy against Roan, she’s potentially facing a cancellation from her fanbase. Even though she is planning to step off the gas of her career, it might happen sooner rather than later. 

Will the Midwest Princess actually fall?

Morgan Kilger is a junior at St. Bonaventure University. She is from Buffalo, NY and is super excited to start her first year at Her Campus! She plans on writing about pop culture, current events and lifestyle. Morgan is most excited to join the sisterhood that Her Campus proudly portrays and write about things that she is passionate about on a safe platform. Morgan is a double major in history and women’s studies with a political science minor. She plans on pursuing a career in museum work. She dreams of one day working in either Washington D.C. or Salem, Massachusetts. You can also find Morgan working on campus as a student ambassador, the Features Editor for The Bona Venture — St. Bonaventure’s student-run newspaper — and in participating clubs like the SBU Dance Team and College Democrats. Morgan also enjoys volunteering at places like the local SPCA and the Olean Warming House in her free time. Outside of her Bonaventure life, Morgan enjoys several hobbies. She likes to play with her dogs Oliver and Lylah, read her favorite books for the millionth time and to watch Gilmore Girls — she’s team Logan. You can also find Morgan hanging out with her roommates for family dinners or having movie nights.