Chappell Roan Talks Boston Show, Debut Album, and More
Image courtesy of Kirt Barnett
Chappell Roan credits one thing for her huge boom in success this past year: “The queer community wanting to party,” she answered matter-of-factly.
Roan released her debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, on September 22, 2023. She embarked on her first North American tour of the same name on September 25. On October 15, she graced the House of Blues stage with local Boston drag artists. A few days prior, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Roan and getting the scoop on all things writing, costumes and Missouri.
Platforming these artists is how Roan gives back to the queer community. Hailing from Springfield, Missouri, the singer only began living to the truest version of herself when she moved to LA in 2019.
“It's been a decade,” she says. “This has been ten years of perfecting a craft.”
Proceeds from the tour’s ticket sales are to be donated to the queer nonprofit, “For the Gworls,” a fundraiser led by and focused on supporting Black trans people.
Image courtesy of Ryan Clemens
Roan’s climb to stardom hasn’t always been easy: she was dropped by Atlantic Records in 2020 and has done tremendous work on herself to get — it’s led her to a better place, where she can perform and prioritize her happiness at the same time.
“It's okay to be happy — and you deserve to be happy. [This] is supposed to be fun and if it doesn't feel fun, then something's off. Something's off, [then] you need to fix something.”
Roan has been open about her struggle with bipolar disorder. Her battle with mental health is reflected in her music, which explains the seamless evolution of her songs from dark pop ballads to what she now describes as “slumber party pop.” She utilized several techniques to accept and celebrate herself as she evolved, one of which being deep introspection.
“The way that I embraced my inner self was through inner child work. I would say, look back at what made you so happy as a little kid, whether that's drawing or crafting or doing makeup or playing dress up or dancing,” she says. “I would say to access your inner self, look deeper than who you are right now.”
“I would say to access your inner self, look deeper than who you are right now.”
Image courtesy of Emily Kobren
This is part of the reason why Roan has dress-up themes for all her shows. Boston’s was “My Kink is Karma,” a belty ballad about seeing your enemies fail. The audience donned red and black, inspired by Roan’s devilish music video for the track.
It was no surprise when Roan played the aforementioned song as the encore that a raucous applause erupted — perhaps the loudest of the night.
Second place for loudest reaction to a song would probably go to Roan’s dreamy, somber rendition of “Bad Romance” by pop supernova Lady Gaga, who Roan credits as a huge inspiration, along with other icons of the genre.
“The ‘Alejandro’ music video really scarred me for life, in a good way,” Roan says. “Carly Rae Jepsen was literally the talk of the town. It was impossible to escape pop music at that time because it was [so much] Katy Perry, Rihanna, Gaga and Kesha. Just every pop girly… It was massive.”
It isn’t just these stars who Roan looks up to. Disney Channel actress-turned-pop-megastar Olivia Rodrigo is a longtime collaborator with Roan. Most recently, Roan sang backup vocals for Rodrigo’s famed song “Lacy” — a willowy, stripped-down ballad — and is opening for the popstar’s highly anticipated GUTS tour next year. When asked about a potential duet, Roan embraced the idea:
“I would be so down, I adore her.”
Both artists are produced by Dan Nigro, a mogul in the industry for the new wave of pop girls. However, pop music isn’t the only major influence in Roan's work. Though she moved away from her conservative hometown, her upbringing isn’t something she wants to forget. In “California,” she sings:
Come get me out of California,
No leaves are brown.
I miss the seasons in Missouri,
My dying town.
According to the artist, she still seeks to carry parts of her small town, Southern upbringing with her on tour:
“I think I definitely pay homage by [literally] coming to Springfield, Missouri,” she says. Roan also gives a nod to her roots by featuring camo merch and dirt bikes in her music videos — something she calls, “an homage to the country, hick side of me.”
Being raised on country music is also evident in some of her songs, notably, “Guilty Pleasure.”
“I yodel a lot in ‘Guilty Pleasure.’ There's [like] an entire bridge of yodeling that I struggle with every single night on tour because it's literally impossible to sing,” Roan says. “But, it's very important to me to pay homage to how I grew up because I love the aesthetic of […] the fact that I lived in a trailer park.”
She encourages fans to embrace this aesthetic too, but most importantly, whatever they feel represents them the most. On the subject of her tour, she says:
“[The shows] have created a space where people can really express themselves freely and without judgment.”
This was evident during her October 18 show at House of Blues. No matter what concert-goers drew inspiration from for their costumes, one thing was clear: They were free to be themselves.