Chappell Roan is a name that keeps growing more and more in media and personally, I find her stardom inspirational and everything she does is magnetic. But not everyone knows her story, and there isn’t more of a perfect time to talk about a growing artist than during the moment they’re beginning stardom.
chappell before chappell roan
Chappell Roan was born as Kayleigh Rose Amstutz on February 19, 1998 in Springfield Willard in Missouri.She attended church 3 times a week and went to youth group camps, she wanted to explore a life outside of church but stayed consistent. Roan was a student at Willard High School but signed to Atlantic Records at sixteen, because of this she dropped out and attended BYU online because attending classes while pursuing a career in music became difficult to balance. She graduated high school one year early and moved to Los Angeles to pursue music full time.
The rise begins
Roan’s stage name inspired from her grandfather, Dennis K. Chappell, who died of brain cancer, his favorite song “The Strawberry Roan” by Curley Fletcher. She began sharing her music by uploading videos of her singing cover songs on YouTube. In 2014 she uploaded her first Original song “Die Young” to Youtube, signed to Atlantic Records in May 2017, and released her debut EP, School Nights, in 2017. She opened for artists like Declan Mckenna, Vance Joy, and Olivia Rodrigo during her GUTS World Tour.
When she released her single Pink Pony Club, in April of 2020, she became more widespread and praised by multiple networks such as USA Today and Vulture. Roan was dropped by Atlantic Records for not being “profitable enough”, and while on her own she released multiple songs including “Femininomenon.” Roan had her own debut “Naked in North America Tour” in February 2023, where every opener was local drag queens, signed with Dan Nigro’s Amusement Records, and released her debut album “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” in September 2023.
Lollapalooza 2024 and now
She got the nation’s attention during Lollapalooza 2024 where she drew one of the largest crowds in the festival’s history. Roan was initially set to perform on a smaller stage, as she was not a headliner this year, but her audience ended up flooding the festival with an estimated 110,000 audience count.
Most recently, Chappell Roan won Best New Artist at the 2025 Grammy’s.
roan’s impact on today’s culture
Chappell Roan is incredibly influential to today’s generation and a perfect person to describe the word expression. She continues to exemplify inclusivity by remaining to put a spotlight on the drag community and sharing the artistry. Chappell Roan stays a proud sapphic pop icon that radiates the message of freeing self-expression and accepting your identity.