• February 19, 1998
• Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, known professionally as Chappell Roan, is an American singer and songwriter from Missouri. Her stage name honors her grandfather, Dennis Chappell, and his favorite song, "The Strawberry Roan" by Curley Fletcher. A roan is a kind of horse.
• She incorporates queerness into every aspect of her artistry. Roan herself is queer and frequently features female love interests in her songs. She also draws inspiration from drag culture and drag queens.
• Her journey to pop stardom wasn't always smooth. Growing up in a small Missouri town, Chappell Roan honed her skills with acting classes and piano lessons but kept her true identity under wraps. However, Roan's desire to entertain burned bright. Early efforts like the brooding "Die Young" showcased her raw talent.
• Chappell Roan first landed a record deal with Atlantic Records in 2015. She released a 5-track EP called School Nights, but in 2020 she decided to move on.
  
  This proved to be a turning point. She joined forces with Dan Nigro, a songwriter-producer known for crafting chart-topping hits for the likes of Olivia Rodriguez, Conan Gray, and Caroline Polachek. Together, they cooked up songs like "Pink Pony Club" and "Naked in Manhattan." Vulture named "Pink Pony Club," inspired by finding a welcoming space at a West Hollywood gay bar, their "song of the summer."
• Roan's 2023 debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, cemented her status as a rising star. A vibrant exploration of self-discovery, it landed on numerous year-end best-of lists.
• She had a breakout moment at Lollapalooza on August 1, 2024 when she played to the biggest daytime crowd in the history of the festival. Three days later, she played a rousing set at Hinterland that won over the headliner, Noah Kahan, who posted a video of him dancing during her set with the message, "I may be headlining but I'm really here for Chappell Roan."
• Roan had a hard time dealing with the throngs of new fans who approached her for photos or hugs after she found fame in 2024. In August, she vented on TikTok. "I don't want whatever the f--k you think you're supposed to be entitled to whenever you see a celebrity," she said. "I'm allowed to say no to creepy behavior."
• Her first performance was at her 6th grade talent show, which she won. It was the first time she realized her talent. "I was like, wait, am I good at this?" she said.
• Roan won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist at the 2025 ceremony, beating Sabrina Carpenter and Benson Boone. She used her speech to petition for artist support.
  
  "I told myself if I ever won a Grammy and got to stand up here in front of the most powerful people in music, I would demand that labels, and the industry profiting millions of dollars off of artists, offer a livable wage and health care, especially to developing artists," she said. "I got signed as a minor, and when I got dropped I had zero job experience, and like most people had a difficult time finding a job in the pandemic and couldn't afford health insurance. It was so devastating to feel so committed to my art and feel so betrayed by the system and so dehumanized to not have health insurance. If my label had prioritized artist health, I could have been provided care by the company I was giving everything to. Record labels need to treat their artists like valuable employees with a livable wage and health insurance. Labels, we got you, but do you got us?"

Comments

More Songfacts:

The A TeamEd Sheeran

Ed Sheeran's first single was "The A Team," a song about a drug-addicted prostitute.

I Kissed a GirlKaty Perry

Katy Perry's breakout hit, "I Kissed A Girl," was surprising to those familiar with her past: Her parents were pastors and she started off singing Christian music.

ThunderstruckAC/DC

Angus Young created the distinctive opening guitar part for AC/DC's "Thuderstruck" by playing with all the strings taped up except the B. He learned the studio trick from his older brother George Young, who was the rhythm guitarist for The Easybeats.

HelloAdele

Adele isn't a ghost when she sings, "Hello from the other side" - it means the "other side of becoming an adult."

Family AffairMary J. Blige

Mary J. Blige introduced three new words with her hit "Family Affair": hateration, holleration and dancerie.

Against The WindBob Seger

Bob Seger's "Against The Wind" has the famous mind-bending line, "Wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then." Seger was going to cut it, but his Eagles buddies Glenn Frey and Don Henley told him it was the best line in the song.

Editor's Picks

Gary NumanSongwriter Interviews

An Electronic music pioneer with Asperger's Syndrome. This could be interesting.

Gilby ClarkeSongwriter Interviews

The Guns N' Roses rhythm guitarist in the early '90s, Gilby talks about the band's implosion and the side projects it spawned.

Jon Oliva of Trans-Siberian OrchestraSongwriter Interviews

Writing great prog metal isn't easy, especially when it's for 60 musicians.

Dave Pirner of Soul AsylumSongwriter Interviews

Dave explains how the video appropriated the meaning of "Runaway Train," and what he thought of getting parodied by Weird Al.

Susanna Hoffs - "Eternal Flame"They're Playing My Song

The Prince-penned "Manic Monday" was the first song The Bangles heard coming from a car radio, but "Eternal Flame" is closest to Susanna's heart, perhaps because she sang it in "various states of undress."

Def Leppard QuizMusic Quiz

Can you name Def Leppard's only #1 hit in America? Get rocked with this adrenalized quiz.