Chappell Roan is Redefining Queer Pop.
After 18 years of bisexual girlhood, the summer of 2024 has been my gayest yet. In following the internet trends of late, this past summer season is noticeably colorful — specifically, orange, white, and pink. Aside from Billie Eilish and Reneé Rap, we have witnessed the rise of Chappell Roan, whose bold and unapologetic approach to both her artistry and drag persona captivates audiences across the globe.
Following her opening for Olivia Rodrigo’s GUTS Tour, Chappell Roan’s influence began to extend far beyond addictively catchy beats and striking visuals. Her music has brought increased visibility to queer artists in the mainstream music industry, and her grassroots background provides a unique perspective and inspires listeners across the world.
Chappell Roan is not the first artist to make unapologetically queer music, so what is the reason behind her reign of popularity? In past years, we saw the emergence of powerhouse lesbian singers such as Girl in Red, Hayley Kiyoko, and King Princess. However, these artists mainly experienced prominence within the LGBTQ+ community, thus developing relatively small and niche fan bases. Even Lady Gaga, who released the anthem “Born This Way” in 2011, has had music with queer themes overshadowed by other mainstream pop artists. In contrast, Chappell Roan is hailed as groundbreaking, and her openly queer music is accepted and celebrated by the mainstream audience on the world’s biggest stages and most popular streaming platforms.
However, Chappell Roan’s success is not just ‘some miracle’ that happened due to an increasingly accepting musical landscape. What truly makes her popular, are the songs that not only celebrate queerness but the multifaceted nature of girlhood and womanhood. Tracks such as “Femininomenon” and “Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl” have empowered the queer community and girls and women of all identities. These songs have shed light on the universally relatable themes of the liberation found in embracing femininity and sexual autonomy.
I have been listening to queer songs since my search for recognition while deep in the closet, and Chappell Roan’s music is vastly different from what I used to listen to. While Hayley Kiyoko’s “Girls Like Girls” and King Princess’s “1950” were comforting classics for queer girls, Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club” and “Red Wine Supernova” are the kind of songs that make me want to scream about my queerness at the top of my lungs, to the whole world. What Chappell Roan created was a celebration of our sexuality — what we had to hide before is something we should enjoy and have fun with. Chappell is the face of being yourself unapologetically.
Chappell Roan represents a significant and positive shift in the music industry: queerness is being increasingly embraced, and queer artists are getting their long-overdue celebration. Chappell is the creator of a totally new paradigm, and somehow it is only the beginning of her rise to fame. There is no doubt that Chappell Roan is going to become one of the most prominent and much-awaited queer superstars, and I cannot wait to see where she will take us next on her musical journey.
Featured album image from “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” – Chappell Roan on Spotify. Graphic by Phie Mihm.
