The music industry has experienced a notable absence of a female queer pop idol [SH1] for decades. While Lady Gaga was a prominent voice for the queer community, her songs addressing her queerness never achieved the same widespread popularity as her other hits. Her work to promote queer visibility was groundbreaking, but the songs specifically highlighting queer themes were often overshadowed by her other mainstream successes.
In recent years, there has been a promising emergence of female queer singers such as King Princess, Girl in Red, Hayley Kiyoko, and Janelle Monáe. However, these artists are mainly prominent in the indie pop and R&B genre, and face challenges in breaking into the mainstream pop arena. Their music, which often highlights authentic queer experiences, often struggles to reach the same level of success as their “mainstream” counterparts. Many of these artists rely heavily on their semi-niche platforms and dedicated fan bases, rather than experiencing the universal fame that mainstream pop icons achieve.
The rise of musical artist Chappell Roan is a groundbreaking emergence of a new and improved era of queer pop- one that authentically celebrates the queer experience in the mainstream. Unlike her predecessors, Roan’s songs about queerness are among her most popular, consistently rising in the top charts. Roan’s debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, released in 2023, catapulted her into the spotlight as an entirely new kind of queer superstar, one whose queerness is inextricably tied to her onstage persona, music, and success. Her album is a dynamic, 80s pop-inspired mix of drag, yodeling, cowboys, cheerleaders, and unapologetic self-expression.
Chappell Roan, born Kayleigh Amstutz, is a 25-year-old from the small town of Willard, Missouri. Growing up in a highly religious community that did not accept queerness, Roan’s experiences deeply influenced her music and lyricism. Her journey resonates with queer individuals of all ages who have faced similar challenges in their own lives. Although she has been in the music industry for years, Roan’s popularity recently skyrocketed after she opened for Olivia Rodrigo’s Sour Tour and released her latest album in 2023. Since then, Roan has been described by the Los Angeles Times as “L.A.’s queer pop superstar in the making” and has rapidly gained fame for her unique style of pop music and vibrant onstage drag persona.
Chappell Roan’s music is undeniably fun and confidently queer; it embodies the celebration of the LGBTQ+ experience. Her album provides an authentic and playful representation of queer life, from her vivid depictions of women loving women in songs like “Red Wine Supernova” to “Pink Pony Club”, which encourages listeners to embrace their true selves despite societal pressures. Roan specifically dedicates the drag-inspired track “Super Graphic Ultra-Modern Girl” to the LGBTQ+ community, as she wanted to ensure they had a song that is “an undeniably gay pop song” (Roan- Rolling Stones). Additionally, her singles, including “Naked in Manhattan” and “Femininomenon” are pop-forward songs that explore queer love stories with a refreshing sense of joy and pride.
Roan signifies a new era of queer superstardom because she boldly sings about her queerness while still appealing to a broad audience beyond the LGBTQ+ community. Her 80s-inspired music, paired with artistic lyrics that inspire authenticity and joy, resonate with people from all backgrounds who appreciate her spunk, quirky style, and unique take on pop music. Her broad appeal has led her to amass tens of millions of monthly listeners. She has consistently gone viral for her performance of “Hot To Go” at various music festivals, where large crowds enthusiastically mimic the iconic hand movements associated with the song and sing along to every word. Roan’s most recent single “Good Luck, Babe”, released in April 2024, has sent her to an entirely new level of fame, already reaching 10th in the Billboard Hot 100 Chart and still steadily rising.
Roan stands as a prominent shift in the music industry, where queerness is increasingly embraced and celebrated in mainstream pop culture. Her popularity is only beginning to rise, and I believe, along with the rest of the world, that she is poised to become a much awaited, much needed queer, feminine superstar on the mainstream pop stage.
By, Margaret Murphy Weise, PAC Intern
https://www.vox.com/culture/358464/chappell-roan-rise-and-fall
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/chappell-roan-pop-lgbtq-olivia-rodrigo-1234981099
https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100
[SH1]Maybe a word that is more encompassing of her queer identity personally and in her music– idol?