• 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 8th 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?"
• Roan is a big fan of the Disney series Hannah Montana, which ran from 2006-2011 and starred Miley Cyrus as a seemingly normal teen who was actually a pop star. Her first concert was the Best of Both Worlds Tour, where Cyrus would perform both her own songs and tunes as Hannah Montana.

Comments

More Songfacts:

Jump AroundHouse of Pain

The horn flourish at the beginning of "Jump Around" comes from Bob and Earl's "Harlem Shuffle"; the squeal throughout the song might be a Prince sample.

CruiseFlorida Georgia Line

The first use of the term "bro-country" in print was used to describe "Cruise," the breezy hit from Florida Georgia Line that checks the boxes of girls, trucks and back roads.

ImagineJohn Lennon

Yoko Ono has always denied requests to cover "Imagine" with the line "no religion, too" omitted or changed.

Mambo No 5 (A Little Bit Of)Lou Bega

The party tune "Mambo No 5 (A Little Bit Of)" was the theme song for the 2000 Democratic Convention (the party of Bill Clinton), until someone noticed the line, "A little bit of Monica in my life."

Two TribesFrankie Goes to Hollywood

Frankie Goes to Hollywood's "Two Tribes" features British actor Patrick Allen reading extracts from a government civil defense leaflet.

Take Me HomePhil Collins

Phil Collins' "Take Me Home" is about a patient in a mental institution and was inspired by the novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

Editor's Picks

Part of Their World: The Stories and Songs of 13 Disney PrincessesSong Writing

From "Some Day My Prince Will Come" to "Let It Go" - how Disney princess songs (and the women who sing them) have evolved.

Jim McCarty of The YardbirdsSongwriter Interviews

The Yardbirds drummer explains how they created their sound and talks about working with their famous guitarists.

Martyn Ware of Heaven 17Songwriter Interviews

Martyn talks about producing Tina Turner, some Heaven 17 hits, and his work with the British Electric Foundation.

American Hits With Foreign TitlesSong Writing

What are the biggest US hits with French, Spanish (not "Rico Suave"), Italian, Scottish, Greek, and Japanese titles?

Ben Kowalewicz of Billy TalentSongwriter Interviews

The frontman for one of Canada's most well-known punk rock bands talks about his Eddie Vedder encounter, Billy Talent's new album, and the importance of rock and roll.

Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat WorldSongwriter Interviews

Jim talks about the impact of "The Middle" and uses a tree metaphor to describe his songwriting philosophy.