American singer-songwriter Chappell Roan was recently awarded the title of “Best New Artist” at the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs). With her signature red curly hair and hit songs like “HOT TO GO!” and “Pink Pony Club,” she has quickly flourished from an aspiring artist in small-town Missouri to superstar status amongst audiences across North America.
As is typical when an artist quickly rises to fame, many wonder, who is this person, and why are they so famous?
To answer this question, let’s delve into how Roan has captured the attention of millions and why she is exactly what the music industry needs today.
When watching Roan perform on stage in full drag, singing songs about a messy breakup with an ex-girlfriend, you wouldn’t expect her to have grown up thinking being gay was bad and a sin, as she said to interviewers at the Guardian.
Roan was raised in Willard, Missouri, a small town situated in the Bible Belt. With a population of 6,000 people in her hometown, she experienced a deeply conservative upbringing where queerness was not only taboo but ostracized. Unfortunately, this experience is not unique to the Midwest Princess but affects people all over the world who suffer in silence.
In a journey that is inspiring to queer people everywhere, Roan has transcended her sheltered childhood and is known today for being an icon of queer pop, even being credited with leading a lesbian pop renaissance. The sapphic experience is extremely underrepresented in mainstream pop music.
Despite this, Roan has millions of people belting the lyrics to her song about losing a lover to compulsory heterosexuality within her debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. It doesn’t matter who you are or how you identify, “Good Luck, Babe!” is so captivating that you can’t help but sing along.
Along with her triumphant expression of queerness, Roan has recently taken a stand against the lack of boundaries between celebrities and the public. This began when she posted a controversial TikTok about her struggles with fame, stating, “I don’t care that abuse and harassment is a normal thing to do to people who are famous… that does not make it okay.”
She also took to Instagram to share this message, reminding her audience that “women don’t owe you sh*t.”
In an industry where women are taught to behave in a very specific way, Roan’s honesty is a breath of fresh air. We’ve seen repeatedly how women like Britney Spears and Marilyn Monroe have been beaten down by the abuse that comes with fame. Roan has chosen to put her foot down, and I believe that a woman who sets boundaries should only ever be celebrated.
When consuming pop culture, we are constantly fed polished personas over genuine expressions of humanity. This is why Roan’s fashion, music, sense of humour, and decision to be unapologetically herself have commanded such widespread attention.
She is incredibly inspiring to me and many others. Her recent rise to fame and success at the MTV VMAs is not only a triumph for queer women everywhere but a reflection of the music industry’s greater shift towards celebrating authenticity.
So, if you still haven’t, I suggest you throw on The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess and embrace your inner Chappell Roan.