Similar to the music artist Chappell Roan, I was born in a small town in the Midwest–perhaps not as small as Willard, Missouri, though. Roan’s debut album conveys a common dream of many girls growing up: “making it big” in Hollywood.
Her story to fame matches this same vision, with her musical career beginning at the age of 17 after being discovered on YouTube and signed by Atlantic Records soon after. Now at the age of 25, her debut album The Rise and Fall of a Midwestern Princess buckles listeners tight on the rollercoaster of personal stories that have happened since her separation from her past label, ranging from discovering her sexuality to the longing desire of seeking comfort from a place once called home. The 1980s-esque vocal style and sound transports the audience to a hyper-pop space that’s bound to make it a head-bopping listen.
As perfectly described by the Thresher (Rice University’s student newspaper) review on the album, Roan’s pop-heavy tracks are scattered with, “brash choruses and lyrics that walk a fine line between camp and cringe.” The artist does this purposely to create humor and control the narrative of her stories which kept me enticed throughout the entire album listen. For example, the opening of the debut album, “Feminonomenon,” includes lines like “Hit it like rom-pom-pom-pom / Get it hot like Papa John…It’s a femininomenon” which describes her desire to be romantically wanted more. Despite its funky tunes, the song still holds a message very relevant in our world concerning a woman’s role in relationships.
Cheeky lyrics and innuendos are often used to tease Roan’s past flirty affairs. “After Midnight” paints a drama where Roan piques interest at sparking drama and having fun in between by saying “I’m feeling kinda freaky, maybe it’s the club lights / I kinda wanna kiss your girlfriend if you don’t mind… / maybe it’s the moonlight / I kinda wanna kiss your boyfriend if you don’t mind.” Another song, “Red Wine Supernova,” is upfront on how smitten she is for another woman and repeatedly asks her to swing by. In an interview with the Rolling Stone, Roan had explained she intended for the album to serve as a story of self-discovery in terms of her own queerness and desire to express freedom and euphoria in her own terms. The emotions of pure joy can be felt through these quirky songs by the upbeat chorus and squeals.
More vulnerable songs like “Coffee” demonstrate her vocal strength and lyrical strength. Stripped-down instruments describe an experience of trying to remove herself out of a toxic relationship, saying, “I’ll meet you for coffee / ’cause if we have wine / you’ll say that you’re sorry / I know that’s a lie.” The subsequent track “Causal” also encapsulates the current struggle of the dating world, filled with situationships and unmarked labels. Her vocals here give a similar vibe to Phoebe Bridgers’s “Savior Complex.”
The album is then marked by a transition from “Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl” and “HOT TO GO!” that can be inspired by club beats from popular hits from Beyonce, Lady Gaga, and Madonna. The use of her speaking voice, along with some funky synths and bass, lets you focus on the theme of confidence that the tracks exuberate, which caused the quirky tunes to be personal favorites for me.
The second half of the album contains an old track that may seem familiar for long-time listeners of Roan. Released in April 2020, the “Pink Pony Club” was produced by Dan Nigro, who has worked alongside artists such as Olivia Rodrigo in the past. The track describes a story of a girl leaving her small town to become a stripper in West Hollywood. According to an interview with Cherwell, Roan stated that a visit to The Abbey, a gay bar in West Hollywood was the inspiration due her desire to become a go-go dancer in the city. The song was also described as “The Song of Summer 2021” by Vulture and ranked alongside tracks like “WAP” and “Levitating” in USA Today. Despite these high acclaims, her record label Atlantic dropped Roan in 2020. Roan was forced to work three jobs for two years as an independent recording artist before signing with Island Record in 2023.
“California” expands on the highs and lows of her musician career by first narrating her move from her home state of Missouri to Los Angeles, California. She makes painful admittances like “Thought I’d be cool in California / I’d make you proud / To think I almost had it going / but I let you down.” I believe this track would have served as a better closing versus “Guilty Pleasure,” which echoes similar sounds heard in earlier tracks in the album.
Overall, the progression as an artist since her first release in 2017, the singer’s sound and voice has shown immense growth. I recently discovered her sound because of Olivia Rodrigo’s new tour dates being announced, with Chappell Roan serving as the opening for her Texas tour dates, but the two artists share more similarities due to the producer Dan Nigro for their recent albums. Roan was also listed as a collaborator for background vocals in Olivia Rodrigo’s song “Lacy” in her latest album, GUTS, which further demonstrates the close relationship between the two artists. My admiration for these two unique artists piques interest for the combination the two will have on stage on their tour dates together.
Olivia Rodrigo and Chappell Roan will be performing in Dallas on March 1st, 2024.