Photo Credit: MYSA
International pop-star and Grammy winner Chappell Roan has seen tremendous growth in her over a decade-long career as of recently–and someone needs to talk about it. Your favorite artist’s favorite artist doesn’t take lightly to the pen, embracing her midwestern roots and unshaken vivaciousness.
Let’s take this Midwest Princess back to 2021, specifically July 17th. Chappell takes to a public park, setting up a small station where she performs her iconic ‘Pink Pony Club’ to fifty or so people. Mind you–This is before anybody knew her name. Fast forwarding to 2022. Chappell had amassed a decent following on Tiktok, posting short videos that contained snippets of her newest singles such as ‘Naked In Manhattan’ and ‘California.’ Although not the biggest pull factor, people now knew her stage-name.
Chappell Roan started somewhere, but where did she really start? Sensational pop-star Olivia Rodrigo and Chappell Roan had been friends long before the virality. Taking to the streets of Los Angeles, Chappell found solace in Olivia after being dropped by Atlantic Records out-of-the-blue; A point in her life that only saw growth thereon.
Graciously, Olivia invited Chappell onto both of her personal ‘SOUR’ and ‘GUTS’ world tours, but opening for the ‘GUTS’ tour was what defined her star-power.
With people desperate for more on this new, eighties-influenced star, Chappell knew exactly what they wanted. On April fifth, her single ‘Good Luck, Babe!’ was released mere days after finishing her leg on the ‘GUTS’ tour, and the entire world stopped to listen.
As much as ‘Good Luck, Babe!’ deserves the sheer amount of love it got, her debut album ‘The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess’ is warranted just as much. If you’re familiar with the HOT-TO-GO dance or the Casual trend on TikTok, both of those originated from this album. Otherwise, if you’ve just been introduced to Chappell and have yet to tune in, these are some of the most popular tracks.
HOT TO GO!
Probably the most well-known of them all, ‘HOT TO GO’ stands out as a fun, chaotic track that sets up the rest of the album with that signature nostalgic-pop sound that Chappell has mastered.
“It’s like a hundred 99 degrees, when you’re doing it with me, doing it with me!”
Like most of the tracks, listeners can tell that she’s no stranger to love, having gone through multiple relationships in the past. What most would assume to be a melancholic, slow song given these themes, she picks up the tempo immediately to bring positivity to the stage. She’s confident, open to love, and hyper while she does it all!
Giving the song an easy to learn, signature dance reminiscent of the YMCA was the best promotion of all with how addictive and upbeat it feels.
“You’re coming home with me? Okay, that’s hot… I’ll call a cab.”
Casual.
Chappell Roan slows it down with Casual, venting her struggles with love in a very raw, very heartfelt manner. Her feelings come out more towards the bridge, where she really blurts out what keeps her up at night.
“It’s hard being casual when I’m on the phone talking down your sister–I try to be the chill girl that holds her tongue and gives you space…Honestly I’m not.”
Once the outro picks up, she belts the lyrics in this guttural manner that the school newspaper would most definitely not allow, so let’s keep it PG.
Red Wine Supernova.
Very simply, very truly, wow. For being the second track on the album, Chappell absolutely delivers with this powerhouse of a song. Kicking it off with an acoustic guitar, nobody knows what to expect for the first few seconds, until the song really shows its appeal.
“I’m in the hallway waitin’ for ya, mini-skirt and my go-go boots! I just want you to make a move so slow down, sit down, it’s new.”
Red Wine Supernova is very reminiscent of HOT TO GO with the synth-lined instrumental, while covering a similar topic. It should feel repetitive, however Chappell makes a clear distinction between the two that absolutely blows people away. It’s one of the more popular tracks for a reason.
“Fell in love with the thought of you, now I’m choked up, face down, burnt out…”
Pink Pony Club.
Last but definitely not least, Pink Pony Club hits the stage in its heels, because it’s where it belongs. Almost immediately gaining traction after Chappell’s headstrong rise to stardom, listeners were hooked on Pink Pony Club by both its undeniable relatability and fun karaoke-ability.
“I’m gonna keep on dancing at the Pink Pony Club, I’m gonna keep on dancing down in West Hollywood.”
While most of the album surrounds itself with themes of inclusivity and camaraderie, Pink Pony Club stands out amongst the others. Its lyrics describing a want for community and a safe place in the chaos of the world impacts listeners of all backgrounds, solely because of how deep it cuts.
“Don’t think I’ve left you all behind… Still love you and Tennessee you’re always on my mind.”
Chappell’s story is one of many that describe the brief fall of an artist’s career just before the quaint rise to fruition. Her success however has inspired so many across the nation, with many wanting to take a page out of her book. She’s brought back this eighties-esque vibe that the media hasn’t seen for an extremely long period of time–and the people are here for it.