While the Midwest is often known for its corn, small towns, and sprawling plains, the last year has given way to an unexpected midwestern export. Pop music. Hailing from the tiny midwestern town Willard, Missouri, Chappell Roan uses her small-town roots to craft a groundbreaking pop album in a genre that has been notably lacking in recent years. Roan released her debut studio album, “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess”, after nine years of writing and producing music. Chappell Roan is a name that’s been written in the stars, despite only rising to her status as “The Midwest Princess” less than a year ago. This sudden rise to fame leaves many assuming her work is incomplete, juvenile, and underproduced. However, I would beg to differ. Chappell Roan’s debut album is a compelling collection of unique songs, bonded together by common themes and a unique twist on often bland pop music.
The “Fall of a Midwest Princess” was released on September 22, 2023 through the Island Record Label. The album features 14 tracks lasting 49 minutes, making a brief and intriguing listen. The album begins with the single “Femininominon”, a pop ballad about freeing yourself from societal standards and dating women. The album features the internet hits “Hot To Go” and “Red Wine Supernova”, which provide cheerleader anthems and a positive lift to the album. The album may have a reputation for its repetitive pop bangers, but it contains numerous deep and personal slow points, such as the humorous “Casual” or the painful ballad “Kaleidoscope”. Roan’s vocals shine on songs such as “Red Wine Supernova” and “Pink Pony Club”, which feature long sustained high notes. The post album single “Good Luck Babe” features a notorious high note at the end of the song that has received extreme critical praise. Roan’s impressive debut album provides a unique and tasteful take on pop music, a genre that has notoriously been lacking in originality over the past few years.
Roan’s rise to fame has only begun in the past year, and she as already risen to 43.5 million monthly streamers on Spotify. One major contributor to her exponential fame growth was her opening performance for American singer songwriter Olivia Rodrigo’s “Guts” World Tour. Her performance acted as a gateway to an audience that related and enjoyed her musical genres, revealing her to a large group of potential fans. Roan’s relationship with Rodrigo resulted in a benefit for both artists, as they continuously support each other. While Chappell Roan may have begun as a small opener for the Guts tour, with many people not knowing her name, she ended the same tour as a guest star preforming on the same stage as Rodrigo.
Despite only having one studio album, Roan has been producing music for a long time. Her debut EP “School Nights” received overwhelmingly negative critical review. While her debut album contains impactful songwriting, impressive vocal performances, and unique beats, School Nights is known for its odd singing style and wildly unappealing sound. The EP was criticized for lacking differentiation between the albums songs, with many blending together and lacking specific standout songs. The vocals on School Nights have been described as “cursive singing”, or the act of slurring words together to create an odd and off putting sounding form of speech that at times may be difficult to understand.
Throughout Chappell Roan’s short career, she has achieved what many artists aspire to be. Roan is unique because of her quick rise to fame, unique takes on an often overlooked genre, and her influence on Midwestern culture.
