Chappell Roan gives young queer women themselves to sing about

Known for combining synth-pop and early 2000s dance music, Chappell Roan is a young artist with a unique look that takes inspiration from drag queens, Marie Antoinette, and the ‘80s. Roan has quickly risen to fame by gaining popularity on TikTok and opening for performers like Olivia Rodrigo, becoming a household name amongst young women and the queer community.

Roan sings about femininity, queerness, and self-confidence. Her song “Naked in Manhattan” is a great example of her focus. Reminiscent of Katy Perry’s song, “I Kissed a Girl” – an inspiration for Roan –, it describes a gay teenage dream. In past interviews, she’s talked about unknowingly having crushes on her girlfriends growing up. She turned those experiences into “Naked in Manhattan,” a song detailing two women who’ve pushed down their romantic feelings for each other but finally get together. Roan has multiple songs about hiding one’s sexuality, as it was something she had to do growing up in a religious and conservative community in the midwest – a common experience for queer people growing up in unaccepting environments. In an interview with Variety, Roan stated, “I just wanted to feel like a good person, but I had this part of me that wanted to escape so bad.”

As an artist, Roan presents an unabashedly confident feminine persona. She doesn’t shy away from glitter, heavy makeup, or frills on stage. In her song “Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl,” Roan celebrates female self-love and individuality while fighting stereotypes about women. To her fans, “Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl” is their version of the ‘it girl,’ a woman who loves herself and doesn’t conform to society’s expectations. Her song “Pink Pony Club” is about following your dreams unapologetically and equally evokes a sense of confident femininity – especially in the music video for the song where Roan becomes a Go-Go dancer, something Roan admits to previously being scared of approaching.

Roan strives to create a safe and openly queer place for people, as it’s not something she had growing up. She likes performing in southern and midwestern cities lacking in Queer freedoms, as it gives the Queer kids a place to express themselves, gender, and sexuality without judgment. Frequently, she donates ticket profits from those concerts to various Queer charities and organizations. In the process of giving back to her Queer community, she became a new LGBTQ icon for young people everywhere.