Chappell Roan has been a working pop artist for years. At 17, she signed her first-ever record deal with Atlantic Records and has been creating amazing tunes ever since.
In September of 2023, Chappell released her now-hit album, “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess,” setting it off on tour opening for Olivia Rodrigo. However, her fame boomed when she made her appearance on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series and went viral after singing her songs “Casual,” “Pink Pony Club,” “Picture You,” “California” and “Red Wine Supernova.” After this, her monthly listeners count on Spotify went up a shocking 500 percent, bringing her up to 3.4 million listeners, and counting. She currently has over 45 million listeners.
There is nothing this woman has not done so far in her career. In April, she became one of the biggest stories from Coachella. In June she was the story of the Governor’s Ball, been on Jimmy Fallon, performed on The Late Night Show with Stephen Colbert and is now working to redefine the line between “working pop artist” and “pop star.”
Kaylynn’s Version
Femininominon (Track 1)
I believe that Chappell Roan is the queen of opening and closing (and obviously everything in between) of her songs. The opening of the song Femininominon however, is especially beautiful. The mix of violins and other string instruments is a beautiful way to open a song. Right off the bat, she starts with such a strong impact, “Got so close, but then you lost it; should’ve listened to your friends back in Boston.” This is such a beautiful way to say “You almost had it, good try though.”
After the initial slow start, the song picks up with the line “Can you play a song with a f*cking beat?” What a line. I can’t lie to you, it gets me every single time, especially when she uses the sound effect of a revving motorcycle. This song is “Hot Girl Summer” in a nutshell.
The bridge in the song is so “hype-girl” with the pep talk feel, which is followed by a breakdown of vocals for the chorus, and finally, Chappell screaming for the beat to come back.
Overall thoughts; I love it. This is a great way to start an album. I wish more artists would do it like Chappell.
After midnight (Track 3)
Yet again, Chappel opens with a banger line. “My mama said nothing good happens when it’s late and you’re dancing alone. She’s in my head saying it’s not attractive, wearing that dress and red lipstick.”
This song is such a “Just-A-Girl-Club-Pop” song, but maybe that is because the chorus says “Maybe it’s the club lights.”
There are two things about this song I don’t care for much, one of which is the constant repetition of the song. It is very repetitive, I feel that the chorus just happens way too many times. Once or twice is okay, but Chappell, maybe let’s stop after that and not go to six times.
However, looking past the overuse of the chorus, the bridge is such a good vibe. There is something about it that just works.
Coffee (Track 4)
The opening of this song is something I wish I could inject into my veins. It is so captivating right off the bat, and when she hits you with the “Meet you for coffee, only for coffee” you stop knowing how to feel. But I can tell you that this is my favorite song on the album.
There are so many lyrics in this song that are just so perfect to me, and that I could quote over and over, but I’m going to spare you some time by just telling you that the entire song is so captivating. Every word she says just wraps you around into the world of Chappell, especially when she sings “Every place leads back to your place,” and “If I didn’t love you, it would be fine.” There is a small thing about that line that most people might miss, halfway through the song, she changes it from “love” to “trust,” and for some reason, that makes it a lot more sentimental.
There is just something about this song that feels like a personal attack.
Casual (Track 5)
To keep this short and sweet, this song also feels like a personal attack. As someone in a happy and healthy relationship currently, it doesn’t affect me now, but as a person who was in a not-so-good relationship before this, this song speaks absolute volumes.
Picture you (Track 9)
For being very, very young, Chappell has such a mature and beautiful voice, and the vocal flips at the beginning of this song nicely represent this. Something about this song shows the mature side of Chappell, and it makes you remember that music stars go through things too. This song is such a big part of the story of this album.
California (Track 13)
Okay, hear me out. This song is not my favorite, nor is it the best on the album, but the rawness and sentiment behind it make it just so beautiful. Her voice almost echoes through my ears during and after this song.
When she hits you with the “Too hard to find reasons to stay, even true love could not persuade,” and you have been through something like that before, you will understand why it hurts so good.
Guilty pleasure (Track 14)
I don’t have much to say about this one. It was good when the guitar picked up but in my opinion, this is not the best song in the album—no further comments.
(Justin Higuchi )
Knya’s Version
Red Wine Supernova (Track 2)
Personally, this song makes me feel like I am in the bedroom of a 2000s movie about a girl in her twenties who is obsessed with leopard prints. Chappell makes an atmosphere out of every song she creates. This song opens with background vocals that almost sound ethereal and a little guitar intro that fits perfectly with Chappel’s voice. Chappel uses background vocals PERFECTLY throughout this song, especially whenever she says “Fall right into me.” The rhythm and how perfectly the words flow in the middle of the song where she tells the story of Red Wine Supernova.
This song is about someone who is missing their love interest and had a little too much to drink so now they’re thinking about their romantic interest. Chappel ends this song perfectly with a harmony that soothes you as you finish out the song. The contrasting vocals to end the song, just leave you pleased when you are done listening to the song.
Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl (Track 6)
Hot take, this one is not my favorite. I can appreciate it and I will admit that the chorus is pretty catchy and almost addicting to sing along. When I first listened to this I liked the vocals that happened after the intro, where she changes into the first bridge of the song.
Chappell’s raw voice is something that is really enjoyable to listen to, you can feel the emotion in her voice with the rawness and flutters in her voice. When the outro comes though, I died. Chappel overlays the vocals in the outro and every outro on this album is a religious experience, and mix it with the keyboard and synth and it’s ten times better.
HOT TO GO (Track 7)
I have mixed opinions on this one. I really like the upbeat vibe of the song and how she sets up the song. Before this song blew up and everyone was doing the dance everywhere, I think I liked this song more. As it grew more popular, my love for it decreased. Chappell is a queen of pop right now and I love how she honors her Midwestern roots too. I think the whole hype of this song is the iconic dance and how catchy it is, I don’t usually go out of my way to listen to this one. But you know once it comes on I am dancing and singing along to it.
My Kink Is Karma (Track 8)
I love this song! The way Chappell starts with a mellow intro, and a modest drum backing, but slowly adds more and more vocals to create awesome harmonies and layers. Chappell’s voice is perfection from the way it naturally cracks, the richness in her voice, and how when she says “you” especially. This song is more than a song it’s a whole experience too.
I love it whenever an artist sounds sweet and innocent but is saying the most vile things ever, and this is what Chappell does for us. We can feel her anger but it’s not too much, she’s modest about it which is different from how we usually see Chappell. Until she reaches the climax of the song, we feel the catharsis she experiences in this song.
Kaleidoscope (Track 10)
Okay now, where are the cameras, Chappell was quite literally in my walls when she wrote this one. This song is just a different, raw, and more vulnerable side of Chappell that we do not have the pleasure of experiencing very often. My favorite lyric of the whole song has to be: “Every color of the rainbow, Don’t be afraid to hold it close, It’s never just a shape alone.” This song is so relatable to anybody no matter what stage of life they’re in. It highlights all the complexities of love and how it can be messy but beautiful at the same time. It’s just such a pure song that is healing for the soul, it’s comforting, it flows well and all in all, it’s just a beautiful song.
Pink Pony Club (Track 11)
This song is just fun. It tackles so many things all while being fun and playful. Chappell uses a piano in the intro that is gold for her and does wonders for her voice. The way the beats and the song lyrics line up together makes it enjoyable to listen to, it flows like a river almost. But I have to give a shout-out to the guitar solo because I am blown away every time, and think about how amazing this song would sound live. Also, the chanting at the end of the song is perfect, it’s a song that everyone can relate to whether it’s direct or indirect, just the emotions and how the song flows is so much fun.
Naked In Manhattan (Track 12)
All of Chappell’s songs are a larger part of a story and she uses every lyric to her advantage. I know I have said this so many times now, but all of her songs are just so relatable and this one is no different. Tthis song is for anyone who has ever missed anyone or felt alone in this big world. I do have to say though, I appreciated the mean girl’s reference she dropped in there, and (AGAIN) the vocals were so beautiful. She has such a nice voice, you can feel her confidence coming through her music, and now I feel confident every time I listen to her. Chappell layers things so well, and adds so many unique harmonies that I would never have thought of. She truly is a mastermind.
In conclusion, this album is a solid 8.5/10. From the storytelling aspect of each song to the upbeat ‘girl-pop,’ Chappell Roan is an artist who works in mysteriously amazing ways.
