"The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess" - Chappell Roan Album Review

Chappell Roan, a pop star from Missouri has gained a ton of attention in the last few months with her unique style and refreshing take on pop music. It was announced she would be opening up for Olivia Rodrigo on her upcoming “GUTS” tour. This garnered some extra anticipation for Roan’s debut album. On September 22nd the long-awaited album finally came out. And wow it was sensational.

This album has absolutely no skips. Each song is completely unique and utterly exciting. This new era of pop music has been quite dull, but Roan’s refreshing new take has excited fans all over.

Roan’s first single from this album came out 4 years ago titled “Pink Pony Club” and has become one of the best pop songs ever. No this is not hyperbolic, it truly is a one-of-a-kind song that packs a punch. This song tells the story of a small-town girl dreaming about the drag culture in California.

There are practically no songs like it, but Roan’s gorgeous vocals and playful storytelling leave an incredible impression. The instrumentation is remarkable. The song is filled with joy and the audience truly feels that sense of wonder the song is infused with.

The true beginning of the era began with “Naked in Manhattan” another track that shows Roan is unafraid to be different. This song is utterly insane yet absolutely fantastic. It is practically impossible not to smile and dance while listening to this addictive and melodious song.

Nine of fourteen songs on the album were released prior to the album’s release as singles. Each single had a completely unique perspective and all were tonally unique. Songs such as “California” and “Kaleidoscope” showcased Roan’s incredible ability to make breathtaking ballads. Her voice is one of a kind and her ability to create atmospheric ballads is remarkable.

Her hot streak of creating utterly gorgeous ballads continued with two new songs featured on the album “Coffee” and “Picture This, " which was one of the album's standout tracks. These tracks showcase Roan’s emotional lyricism as well as her angelic vocal tonality.

Roan has also perfected the perfect upbeat pop track. She knows how to have fun with her music. This makes it so easy to listen and feel good while listening to these tracks. Tracks like “Femininomenom”, “Red Wine Supernova” and “Hot To Go” were all singles that featured her wild lyricism as well as sensational production from Dan Nigro.

Dan Nigro, the producer of every track on this album is also known for producing Olivia Rodrigo’s albums as well as Caroline Polachek. In fact, Roan has a small appearance on Rodrigo’s most recent album on the track “Lacy” doing background vocals.

Dan Nigro steals the show on many instances of brilliance on this album, but his production on “Femininomenom” is unequaled. This track is undeniably catchy and a big reason why this song feels so good to listen to is the pulsating bass and hysterical sound effects. Nigro shows that he is an invaluable part of the team through his production and this song is the perfect example of why he is gaining a ton of notability as of late.

Roan’s undeniable personality also shines in every track. The audience truly gets a sense of who she is throughout the album and it is impossible not to fall in love with her. Yes, she is talented, but more importantly, she is very personable.

Two songs released with the album that stood out as more incredible pop entries for Roan were “Ultra Graphic Modern Girl” and “After Midnight” the latter being one of the most vibrant pop tracks of the year. This song has the potential to be a huge hit with many audiences.

While all of the new tracks are remarkable, the final track on the album “Guilty Pleasure” may have the distinction as the best song from the entire album. While this track is already divisive, this song perfectly represents who Roan is. The track begins as a slower ballad with unbelievably gorgeous backing vocals. At the minute mark, the track completely shifts into an upbeat pop song.

Roan's best vocals are featured on this track, especially as she sings the title and her belt at the end of the track. This song is very Chappell Roan. It is a bit confusing, very upbeat and fun, and it doesn’t take itself too seriously.

This album is absolutely one of a kind. She has found fans from all communities, however, her unique take on pop music has gained her a ton of fans in the LGBTQ+ community. During Roan’s last two tours, she has had drag queens as her opener which has been a huge hit with her fans.

Roan is very open about being queer. This is evident through tracks like “Naked in Manhattan” which tells the story of the first time she wanted to be with a girl. And on tracks like “After Midnight” where she says “I kinda want to kiss your girlfriend if you don’t mind” followed by “I kinda want to kiss your boyfriend if you don’t mind.”

Roan has released a perfect album with a ton of diversity in theme, instrumentation, and vocalism. She and Nigro are an unmatched duo that has created some of the most fun and heartfelt music of the year.

Roan has emerged as one of the great, idiosyncratic talents of the 2020s. This album is definitely worth listening to. It is quite exciting to see artists like her make music that is unique and maybe a bit weird. But that weirdness is what makes her such a special artist.

Rating: 10/10

Reviewer’s Favorite Tracks: (Every song but the best of the bests are) “Guilty Pleasure”, “Pink Pony Club”, “Naked in Manhattan”

Reviewer’s Least Favorite Track: N/A

Jack Freiser is a fourth-year majoring in telecommunications. To contact him, email jef5614@psu.edu.