This past year, singer-songwriter Chappell Roan has found herself rising to stardom and becoming one of the fresh new faces of pop music. Born and raised in Missouri, Chappell began uploading singing covers to YouTube as a teenager, quickly capturing the attention of recording label Atlantic Records, which is home to various successful artists such as Bruno Mars, Kelly Clarkson, and many more. She signed with them in 2015 at the age of 17; however, 5 years later, in the midst of the pandemic, she was dropped by the label. The ups and downs of her career and a lack of success after multiple years of hard work almost led her to quit music, but instead, she allowed her struggles to inspire her writing and began working on her first studio album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. Although multiple singles from the album were released throughout 2021 and 2022, the full project wasn’t unveiled until September of 2023. She set off on her own mini-tour soon after but really broke into the mainstream market once she began opening for Olivia Rodrigo on the Guts World Tour in early 2024. Since then, Chappell has gained an incredible amount of popularity in the pop scene with her songs Good Luck Babe!, Hot to Go, Red Wine Supernova, and more. She’s also become a sort of music festival princess after her performance at Coachella, which led her to headline multiple music festivals across the country. Since her breakthrough, Chappell has achieved many milestones, like being on the cover of Rolling Stones magazine and winning Best New Artist at the 2024 VMAs. 

Chappell’s newfound success has been a shock to many, including herself, and she has not shied away from voicing how she feels about it. Recently, she’s been under fire for making multiple statements on her social media accounts and calling out her fans for inappropriate behavior. She spoke up about how uncomfortable she feels when fans disrespect her boundaries by coming up to her in public spaces asking for photos and autographs. She also addressed a certain situation regarding her stalker, who has been continuously harassing both her and her family. Due to her sudden rise to fame, Chappell had been battling with her mental health, which has led her to cancel some performances. As a result, many onlookers have criticized her for being ungrateful towards the fans who brought her all her success and for being unprofessional by canceling shows at the last minute.

Despite all of this, Chappell Roan continues to thrive in the music scene. Recently, I had the pleasure of watching her perform at Austin City Limits (ACL). She unfortunately announced that it would be her last show of 2024, but she certainly ended the year with a bang! Her charisma was magnetic, and her vocals were unbelievable. She even admitted to being sick, but nonetheless, she put on the show of a lifetime. I could go on and on with the praise and can confidently say that it was an unforgettable experience. There is still so much to look forward to, though, as it was recently announced that Chappell is expected to make her SNL debut on November 2nd. She’s also been teasing new music since June when she first performed her unreleased song The Subway. All in all, Chappell Roan is definitely someone to keep an eye out for as we move into 2025 and welcome a new year for pop music.