Independent artist turned up-and-coming pop sensation Chappell Roan was named the best new artist of 2024 at MTV’s Video Music Award after propelling herself into fame within just a few months. Through her music, she already became one of this decade’s most impactful artists.
Her 2023 debut album “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” discovers themes of being part of the LGBTQ community and love. Released on Sept. 22, 2023, it was not as successful upon release until the release of her song “Good Luck Babe” on April 5. It became a viral song on TikTok and led to the internet’s discovery of Roan’s music.
Following the release of “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess,” Roan opened for Olivia Rodrigo, whom she previously opened for before. “Good Luck Babe” was released soon after and Roan then experienced rapid growth of fame. She promoted herself through performances at music festivals like Coachella and New York’s Governors Ball. Her Lollapalooza performance in August became the festival’s most attended performance of all-time at 80,000.
It’s understandable why Roan became so famous. Her stage presence, lyricism and being fearless about standing up for herself is relatable to fans.
Roan has a variety of different songs that range in themes and sounds. The cheer anthem “Hot To Go” is the new “YMCA” of the 2020s and gets audiences to do the arm movements. “Good Luck Babe” is a musically powerful song about a woman who refuses to accepts she is romantically attracted to Roan. My personal favorite is “Kaleidoscope.” It’s a slow song where Roan likens love to the colors of a kaleidoscope.
“I love [Roan’s] energy because she’s not trying to be anyone else,” senior Malory Shiroda said. “She’s just her authentic self.”
Outside of music, Roan has also discussed parasocial fan–artist relationships, setting boundaries for herself.
“I don’t care that this crazy type of behavior comes along with the job, the career field I have chosen,” Roan said in a TikTok post. “That doesn’t make it OK, that doesn’t make it normal.”
Her stance on parasocial relationships was applauded by fans, as many artists at her height of fame don’t usually address unusual fan behaviors.
Now, Roan has taken her debut album all the way to the top two of the U.S. Billboard 200 charts, which tracks album sales and stream performance. The rate of success that Roan is experiencing is rapid. Hopefully, we can expect to hear more from her and upcoming releases.
You can listen to “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” on Spotify:
