She ’s a SUPER GRAPHIC ULTRA MODERN GIRL . And YOU need to keep up !
Unless you’ve been living exclusively under a rock, you’ve probably been introduced toChappell Roanat some point this summer. For those of you off-grid people, Chappell Roan is the queer pop star who’s been releasing music for 7 years. But it wasn’t until this summer that she became impossible to ignore.
After a name-making performance at herCoachella debut, a surprisingly viral visit toNPR’s Tiny Desk, and the meteoric surge in popularity of herdebut album, Chappell Roan has become an undeniable force in the music industry. And there’s no question that she’s here to stay.
So, unless you want to spend the rest of the summer without anything to contribute to the conversation, you might want to get off book on your basic Chappell facts. Here’s everything you need to know to stay in the loop about this summer’s biggest star:
1.Her real name is Kayleigh Rose Amstutz.
2.Her stage name, Chappell Roan, isinspired byher late grandfather, Dennis Chappell, and his favourite song, “The Strawberry Roan.”
3.The proper pronunciation of her stage name is: “Chap-ell” “R-oh-n.”
4.She’s from Willard, Missouri.
5.Just last year, she was working at a summer camp as a counsellor.
6.She’s a Pisces sun, Sagittarius moon, and Libra Rising.
7.She is heavily inspired by drag and identifies as a drag performer.
8.She began taking piano lessons atage 12. In eighth grade, she sang in a talent show and won.
9.In 2018, she moved to Los Angeles on her own.
10.Growing up in a very conservative town,Chappell was raisedextremely religious and went to church three times a week with her family.
11.She was signed to Atlantic Records when she had just turned 17. She released her first single, “Good Hurt,” in August 2017, and her first EPSchool Nightsa month later.How’sthatfor you industry-plant truthers?
12.Her single, “Pink Pony Club” came out a while ago, dropping in 2020. The song, co-written and produced by Dan Nigro, fueled Chappell’s initial rise to superstardom.
13.Though admittedly “picky” when it comes to co-writers, Chappell’s creative collaborator is Dan Nigro, who is Olivia Rodrigo’s producer too.
14.She’s a big gamer who lovesThe SimsandFortnite.
15.Her mother, Kara Amstutz, is a veterinarian. Her father, Dwight Amstutz, manages the family practice.
16.Chappell’s debut album,The Rise and Fall of a Midwestern Princess,was released in September 2023 to widespread acclaim but lukewarm commercial success. It wasn’t until June 2024 that the “sleeper hit” album peaked within the top ten on the Billboard 200.
17.Sheopenly struggleswith anxiety and mental health, especially when it comes to engaging with social media.
18.While she proudlyidentifies as a queer woman, Chappell had never even kissed a girl when she started writing the queer anthems, “Naked in Manhattan” and “Red Wine Supernova.”
19.Shesaysthat singing is what she was born to do.
Make sure to check outChappell’s album,The Rise and Fall of a Midwestern Princess.I promise you, you won’t regret it!
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