Packed with glitter, jewels, and tiaras galore, Deputy Editor Holly Mitchell provides a sneak peek into the camp and delightful persona that is Chappell Roan
As Grapeshot’s resident rural princess (live love Tamworth), I never would have thought that the future of pop music would rest in the hands of a fellow country girl. After all, most boot-scooters or hillbillies do not get down to feminine, fun music, especially if the song hints at queerness or if the artist is a member of the queer community.
Enter Chappell Roan, a 26-year-old Missourian with flaming curly locks who frequently wears drag-inspired makeup and bedazzled cowboy hats. Roan has been releasing music since 2017, but she found her sound last year with the release of The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. Roan described this album as “Kate Bush but a little sluttier, [queerer, and like] Hannah Montana for adults” [1]. With a synopsis like that in mind, my Grapey Princesses, allow me to introduce you to possibly one of my favourite albums of all time!
Revving listeners up with anticipation, the fierce opening track, “Femininomenon,” describes the “feminine phenomenon” of finding solace in female relationships after failed relationships with men. Roan sings, “Crying at the nail salon / I’m so sick of online love.” Not only is she so #relatable for that, but I have to wonder what it is with female artists and being either stoned or upset at nail salons. Track two, “Red Wine Supernova,” is lively with guitar strums that demand attention from the first second. It also introduces us to Roan’s naughtier side; the song’s bridge features the cheeky double entendre of “I heard you like magic / I got a wand and a rabbit,” followed immediately by the lyrics, “So baby, let’s get freaky, get kinky / Let’s make this bed get squeaky.” Roan describes this song as “a night out flirting with the girl across the bar” [2]. Hair twirling and drunken giggles can almost be heard between the lines of Roan’s vocals during this song! “After Midnight,” a bubblegum synth-influenced song, sees this “night at the bar” continue. Roan sings about flirting, hypothetical bar fights, and staying up to watch the sunrise. This makes for a perfect getting-ready song that you can hum while applying some glittery eyeshadow.
The Rise of and Fall of a Midwest Princess then veers into two softer tracks: “Coffee” and “Casual.” “Coffee” tenderly describes Roan’s pain of trying to meet up with an ex to make amends and move on, whereas “Casual” is an angsty ballad that sees Roan questioning the growing intimacy of a situationship. Both these tracks are vulnerable and work well to differentiate the Midwest Princesses’ “rise” from her “fall.”
Shooting back up, the next tracks are titled “Super Ultra Graphic Modern Girl” and “HOT TO GO!” “Super Ultra Graphic Modern Girl” is a funky, bold song. It was undoubtedly my gateway drug for becoming a certified Chappell Roan fan. In its pre-chorus, Roan states, “Not overdramatic / I know what I want,” and that truly sums up the message of this song: knowing your self-worth while feeling like a hot, unbothered babe! It’s worth mentioning that I attended Roan’s concert in November last year at Moore Park. I did not feel as glam as some of my fellow concertgoers; this was also not helped by my white person dancing in the crowd. During these two particular tracks (as well as the entire show), Roan bought the energy: unhinged screams, heart-warming interactions with the crowd, and the typical “American-celebrity-learns-Australian-slang” shenanigans.
“HOT TO GO!” is Roan’s self-described “cheerleader fantasy” track [3]. This was also a gateway drug song for me, as it is so irresistibly catchy and fun! Pop music is officially fun again; thank you, Chappell Roan! It also happens to come with a little YMCA-like dance for Roan’s crowds to do to the lyrics “H-O-T-T-O-G-O / You can take me hot to go.” Once you learn it, you will not be doing it in your head.
“My Kink is Karma” follows and is another empowering, synthy track. Roan sings about basking in the failures of her ex-partner’s life and compares it to climaxing: “Wishing you the best in the worst way / Using your distress as foreplay.” The sardonic lyricism makes this exploration of karma fit perfectly into The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. Track nine, “Picture You,” is a ballad that transforms us to the golden ages of Hollywood with its slow dance pace and timeless lyrics. Roan probes her partner: “Do you picture me like I picture you? / Am I in the frame of your point of view?” Is she significant enough to be in the frame or is she cropped out? Roan has described “Picture You” as a direct sister to “Casual,” with both songs concerning not feeling good enough for a partner [4]. “Kaleidoscope” comes next, a piano ballad comparing the everchanging nature of relationships to that of a kaleidoscope.
Roan circles back to her mesmerising pop girly sound with “Pink Pony Club” and “Naked in Manhattan.” Roan is no stranger to voicing her adoration for the drag community, not only through the lyrics of “Pink Pony Club” (a song reminiscing on a young girl’s dreams to dance at a drag club) but through her decision to source local drag queens as openers for her tour across all different cities [5]. One lyric dismisses what her Southern mother may think of such support: “Oh mama, I’m just having fun / On stage in my heels / It’s where I belong down at the Pink Pony Club.” Roan’s backing of this community continues throughout “Naked in Manhattan,” an excellent song that sonically mirrors “Super Ultra Graphic Modern Girl” and lyrically describes the rush of a blossoming queer relationship: “Touch me, baby, put your lips on mine / Could go to hell but we’ll probably be fine.”
“California” and “Guilty Pleasure” wrap up the Midwestern Princesses’ journey. “California” was the first single released from The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess back in 2020 and perfectly set the scene for this beautiful album. Expressing homesickness for her hometown, Roan lyrically begins this voyage of finding her new self from her comfort zone of the past: “I miss the seasons in Missouri / My dying town.” As a country kid, I often relate to this sentiment; things often seem quieter and closer in a small town than in a city like Sydney. “Guilty Pleasure” starts soft, then does an entire 180 and kicks off the pop-synth finale to this album! As its namesake would suggest, “Guilty Pleasure” lyrically describes Roan's forbidden desire for the subject of this song. Yet, I tend to think about Hi-5 whenever I hear the instrumental of this song (an absolute compliment in my books).
Remember in 2013 when the legendary Beyonce suggested that most artists no longer make quality albums? If I could send her a copy of The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess through time and space, I would. Feminine, queer-friendly, bold, and outrageously fun, Roan’s debut album has proved that she is indeed a 2020s popstar to watch!
Roan recently opened for Olivia Rodrigo on her Guts World Tour across America and performed two weekends at Coachella, enhancing her success. And with her most recent bop, “Good Luck, Babe!” playfully touching on the theme of questioning one’s sexuality, the future looks ever so promising for the Midwest Princess!
The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess is available to stream on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music.
ENDNOTES
[1] Dacity, Ms. “Chappell Roan: The ‘Kaleidoscope’ interview”. Daily Trojan, March 30, 2023, https://dailytrojan.com/2023/03/30/chappell-roan-kaleidoscope/
[2] Geiger, Amy. “Chappell Roan shares "Red Wine Supernova," announces fall tour.” Brooklyn Vegan, May 17, 2023, https://www.brooklynvegan.com/chappell-roan-shares-red-wine-supernova-announces-fall-tour/
[3] Jacob, Lola. “Chappel Roan drops new song ‘Hot to Go!’” coupdemain, August 11, 2023, https://www.coupdemainmagazine.com/chappell-roan/19328
[4] Capital Buzz. “Chappell Roan Breaks Down Every Song On 'The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess' | Making The Album”. YouTube, 17 January 2024, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PF96UOuIHw0
[5] Roan, Chappell. “NAKED IN NORTH AMERICA TOUR ON SALE NOW!! I’m sourcing local drag queens for each city to open for me [] it’s going to be a f***ing party and tix are going fast !! some cities have already sold out!! Link in bio ¨̮”. Instagram, November 12, 2022, https://www.instagram.com/chappellroan/p/Ck1rYmuv5QN/?img_index=1
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