Chappell Roan: Pop’s outrageous reigning diva brings her ‘Rise and Fall’ tour to Berkeley
Chappell Road: She cries in the car and can't follow choreography, but atones for it with drag and disco. Pop's newest it-girl, is coming to Berkeley.
Chappell Roan is pop’s newest “it-girl,” climbing the charts with hit songs like “Pink Pony Club” and “Casual,” and turning the music industry on its head with a unique blend of genres encompassing everything from dance ballads to disco and country.
Nothing about her is conventional — not her songs, and not her shows. Instead of using traditional opening acts, Roan brings local drag performers to her stage. Instead of regular concert attire, she asks that her audiences dress in accordance to themed nights like “Slumber Party” or “Angels vs. Devils.” At every turn, Roan surprises and subverts.
She’s taking the world by storm, but the skies have been brewing for a long time now. As a teenager, Roan began uploading videos of her songs to YouTube, and in 2017, she was signed by Atlantic Records. Shortly after, she moved from her hometown in Springfield, Missouri to Los Angeles in efforts to focus on her music career.
While still with Atlanta Records, Roan released her single “Pink Pony Club,” produced by Dan Nigro. While the song was a hit, hailed by Vulture as “the Song of Summer 2021.”
But things took a downward turn for Roan. Atlanta dropped her, and Nigro shifted his focus away from working with Roan to focus on rising star Olivia Rodrigo, whom he collaborated with on her album, “Sour.”
Roan wasn’t ready to throw the towel in just yet. She kept making music and she leaned on her fellow pop divas, opening for artists like Fletcher and, ironically, Rodrigo. She also reconnected with Nigro, and on Sept. 22, Roan released her debut full-length album, “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess.” Her tour behind the new release comes to Berkeley’s U.C. Theatre for a sold-out shpw Nov. 7.
At a virtual press conference, Roan talked about her new album, her tour, and her recent rise to stardom. Here’s what she had to say about the true-life story at the heart of “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess.”
Q: Your music touches on your journey from Missouri to California. Did you experience a major culture shock when you first came out west? How was that transition?
A: Yes, I was very scared. I would literally cry and drive because I was so scared, and I would get honked at all the time. It took years for me to really feel comfortable in the city… but I think I finally feel adjusted. It was a culture shock, but I appreciate it for what it is.
Q: How does “The Rise and Fall of the Midwest Princess” reflect you and your identity?
A: It just has to do with my love-hate relationship with Los Angeles. I also trace it back to my bi-polarity. There’s this dichotomy of me wanting to go super-pop, but then I want weird, and then I want meaningful, but then I just want to write something that makes me feel dumb. There’s always this push and pull.
Q: Between the skyrocket success of “Pink Pony Club” and the release of “Midwest Princess,” there was a bit of a lull in your career, especially with the pandemic. What inspired you creatively during that time?
A: It was a very uninspiring time, so I just worked off my daydreams. That’s what the whole album turned out to be, these daydreams that I wanted so badly. I didn’t have a girl in my life or a club to go out to, so I just wrote about it.
Q: What is your writing process like?
A: It’s pretty sporadic. I don’t write every day, but it just depends on the song. Sometimes I get an idea, or if I’m really lucky, I’ll come up with a concept that I love, and then the words and the melody come together. But that rarely happens. It only happened with “Pink Pony Club” and “HOT TO GO!” Both of those were written in a day. That’s the ideal, but other times, a random lyric will come up, or I’ll like a melody, but I won’t know what to write it to. It’s a puzzle every time.
Q: How has your style developed since the beginning of your career?
A: The whole thing has really taken such a wild turn. I didn’t really think that I would be going this far pop, it just evolved with my happiness. As I’ve gotten happier, the music has gotten happier along with it. In terms of my fashion, my style has been inspired by what my inner child would think is pretty, and what I dreamed of wearing when I played dress up. I love fashion and DIY and glitter and gems. Overall, I think I started to have more fun in my life, and that’s reflected in my projects.
Q: Makeup, costuming, and drag are all very integral to your style and performance. Where does the inspiration for these looks come from?
A: Pinterest. I’m a die-hard Pinterest user. I love drag and burlesque. I love the movie “Showgirls.” I love the campy, 2000s, Paris Hilton McBling era.
Q: If you weren’t making music full time, you planned on pursuing art therapy. Do you think your music serves as a form of therapy for your fans and the queer community?
A: I think that I do that within the live shows. I try to give people the opportunity to express themselves in a safe place. If it’s therapeutic, that’s amazing. I want it to be helpful in whatever way it can.
Q: When speaking about the difference between your personal identity and your artist persona, you’ve referred to the character of “Chappell” as a drag queen. Can you elaborate a bit on how you compartmentalize between you and your music?
A: It comes through in the storytelling, where a lot of the stories aren’t necessarily false or made up, but they’re inspired by real feelings or things that have happened in my real life. Within the songs, it’s this exaggerated, fluffed story that’s more exciting than what actually happened. When I’m on stage, it’s very easy to be that person, and then when I’m off stage, I just turn it off.
Q: Fans at your shows know the words even to your recently released material. What’s it been like for you, on stage, seeing your newer music come to life in this short period of time ?
A: It’s a blast. Every night, there’s more and more people that know the songs. I love seeing which lyrics people scream louder than others. It’s really interesting, especially if I didn’t think people would really care about that line. It just expands the world for me, and it’s so fun to sing with a crowd that knows every word.
Q: What is your favorite song to perform live?
A: I love to perform “My Kink is Karma,” because people go really crazy for it. I like to feel that energy. It’s very electric in the air.
Q: Your live shows are so physical and dance-centric. Has dance always been something you’ve prioritized or wanted to incorporate into your performances?
A: I have always been so bad at dancing. I genuinely can’t follow choreography. That’s what I had told myself my entire life, but when I did the “Pink Pony Club” music video, I was like wait, this is so freeing and so fun, and I don’t care if I look stupid! That really influenced the work. I was like, the songs have to be danceable. I want to move and twirl, and I want the audience to move with me. I’m not professionally trained, I don’t know what I’m doing, but I have a lot of fun.
Q: You’re going to be opening for Olivia Rodrigo on select dates of the “GUTS” arena tour. Are you nervous about performing at such massive venues?
A: I don’t know. That’s a lot of people, but whatever. Let’s just cross the bridge when we come to it. I’m very excited, but I’m not scared yet.
Q: If you could perform with any artist from any point in time, dead or alive, who would it be?
A: Freddie Mercury.
Q: Who have you been listening to recently?
A: Troye Sivan’s new album! My favorite song is “One of Your Girls.”
Roan will be touring throughout the U.S. through April, 2024. Find dates and information at iamchappellroan.com/tour.