Chappell Roan is the professional name of American singer and songwriter Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, who was born on 19th February 1998 in Willard, Missouri. She took her stage name, Chappell Roan, in honour of her late grandfather, Dennis Chappell, whose favourite song was “The Strawberry Roan”. She started singing publicly after winning a school talent show at the age of 13, and began her professional career after uploading cover songs to YouTube as a teenager. This led to her being signed to Atlantic Records at the age of seventeen, and she released her debut EP, School Nights, in 2017. Her music is primarily pop, often described as ‘slumber party pop’ or indie-synth-pop with notable 1980s synth-pop and 2000s pop influences, though elements of rock have also been noted in her sound.
Following being dropped by Atlantic Records in 2020 after the release of the single “Pink Pony Club,” Roan reinvented her career as an independent artist, working for a time at a coffee kiosk before re-emerging with a camp and drag queen-influenced aesthetic, unapologetically centring her lesbian identity. This led to her signing a new deal and releasing her debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, in September 2023, which became a ‘sleeper hit’ after she gained significant traction, including supporting Olivia Rodrigo on tour and performing at festivals like Coachella. Her most successful singles include “Good Luck, Babe!,” which peaked at Number 2 in the UK chart, and “Pink Pony Club,” which had a massive resurgence, reaching Number 1 in the UK. Another hit is “Hot To Go!,” known for its catchy dance routine, which peaked at Number 7 in the UK. She won a Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 2025.
An interesting fact about Roan is that her high school announced her first record deal over the loudspeakers in the same sentence as announcing there would be pizza for lunch. She has also gained praise as a ‘queer pop icon’ for the bold and authentic expression of her sexuality in her music and performances. Her song “Pink Pony Club” was notably inspired by her first visit to The Abbey, a gay bar in West Hollywood. She is also a passionate crafter, with hobbies including bedazzling, sewing, and needle felting, and she enjoys spending time outside of her music career with friends on game nights.
