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Image of Chappell Roan on stage
Image of Chappell Roan on stage
Photo by Justin Higuchi distributed under a CC BY 2.0 license
SBU | Culture

Are We Witnessing the Rise and Fall of the Midwest Princess?

Morgan Kilger Student Contributor, St. Bonaventure University
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at SBU chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Over the past six months or so, popstar Chappell Roan has risen to fame. In these months, her fan base has tripled, she’s gone on tour, and released new music. Roan is also known to be unapologetically herself, which I applaud greatly. 

With Roan being herself in the public eye, she’s gained more positive fame from it. She’s adored by fans for being herself and she’s inspiring others to do so. She’s grown from being an underground artist opening for big artists, like Olivia Rodrigo, to having the biggest audience at the Gov Ball in 2024. 

However, not everyone is agreeing with Roan’s self-awareness and the boundaries she’s set. 

In the past few months, Roan set boundaries with fans earlier this year. She doesn’t want to be acknowledged in public, which is fair. Sometimes you need to be left alone while walking the streets minding your own business. 

Fans have been agreeable with this; it’s the dropping out of shows they’re upset about. 

On Sept. 27, Roan announced via Instagram she would no longer be performing in the All Things Go Festival in Washington D.C. and New York City due to her mental and physical health. This is common for artists to do, but Roan’s recent actions made her the bad guy.

In June 2024, Roan announced that her fame is getting too much for her. At a concert in Raleigh, NC, she said, “I think my career is going really fast, and it’s hard to keep up.” Roan’s fans were accepting of this as well, but not after the recent cancellation. 

Fans are also not happy with Roan’s endorsement choices. Roan decided to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris, but will not endorse her. 

Who said a popstar has to endorse a candidate? 

Roan said in an interview with The Guardian that she did this because she wants change, and doesn’t feel the pressure to endorse someone. Roan is facing backlash from this due to the pressure celebrities are facing from their fan bases to endorse their preferred candidate. Roan is not having any of that, but she’s facing major backlash for it. So much so that she’s receiving threats via online platforms.

With all of this controversy against Roan, she’s potentially facing a cancellation from her fanbase. Even though she is planning to step off the gas of her career, it might happen sooner rather than later. 

Will the Midwest Princess actually fall?

Morgan Kilger

SBU '26

Morgan is a second-year writer and co-social media chair for St. Bonaventure University’s chapter of Her Campus, and is very excited to continue writing about what she is passionate about. This includes: mental health, pop culture, academic tips, and life experiences. She is also excited to be part of the executive board this year and help bring HCSBU to life on social media.

Outside of Her Campus, you can find Morgan as Communications Officer for SBU College Democrats, a student ambassador, and dancing with the SBU Dance Team. As for her studies, she is a senior history and women’s studies double major with a political science minor. Morgan aspires to work in a museum or university archive.

In her free time, Morgan enjoys being herself with her loved ones. Whether it’s watching Riverdale with her roommates or taking post-dinner trips to Wendy’s, she loves to spend time with her friends. She’s also working through her “to be read” list before she graduates, which is pages upon pages long (every pun intended).