With record breaking crowds and songs that climbed into the top 10, Chappell Roan is carving her path into the music industry. After performing her festival debut at Coachella, she has gained six million more monthly listeners on Spotify in addition to the 68 million streams that she has garnered in this past year.
Debuting in September of last year with her album, “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess,” Roan has gone from playing small venues to selling out concerts nationwide. However, her remarkable success didn’t come without its obstacles. Born and raised in a small town in Missouri, Roan felt confined by the Midwest and had big dreams of moving to Los Angeles and becoming a singer. After being dropped by her first record label and forced to move back home with her parents, Roan gave her music career one last shot. And this time she scored.
For pop music, Roan’s unprecedented breakthrough is as refreshing as her uniqueness is abundant. Flaunting fire-streaked red hair, dramatic drag makeup, and performance costumes like you’ve never seen, Roan is redefining pop music.
Roan’s unapologetically queer and provocative lyrics earned their way to going viral on social media platforms such as TikTok. Her summertime dance-pop anthem, “HOT TO GO,” reigned supreme on the app with the YMCA-like dance that goes with the chorus of the song. Clad in jorts, lace, pink cowboy hats, and boots, fans chant Roan’s sonically diverse discography represent a breakthrough for the music industry.
Roan’s most recent single, “Good Luck, Babe!” peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 on Aug. 17. Her growth happened so expeditiously that festival venues weren’t ready for it. At Lollapalooza, the popular music festival in Chicago, Roan was upgraded from a smaller stage to the main stage to accommodate the amount of people coming to see her.
Although festival season is over, Roan’s impact will be felt for years to come. As she continues to diversify and benefit the music industry, her rise to stardom will be a joy to see.
