A What? A Femininominon!: The Unbridled Queerness of Chappell Roan
If you haven't heard of Chappell Roan by now, I have to assume you live under a rock. Even my mum knows who she is, though she mostly knows her as “that one who makes good drag music”.
For those uninitiated, Chappell Roan (real name Kayleigh Rose Amstutz) is a queer singer/songwriter whose album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess and follow-up single “Good Luck, Babe!” have launched her into stardom, building upon a decade of experience in the music industry. Both her music and her presentation style feed into an 80s-esque vibe, with big synths, vibrant sounds, heightened camp aesthetics, and where all else fails, just make it Really Gay!
Cover art for The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess (2023) | Photo by Ryan Clemens
And it’s that last point that speaks to Roan’s character the most. Since the 2020 release of her single “Pink Pony Club”, she has made a point to bring light to queer culture, icons, and issues for modern audiences who may not be aware of their community’s history. In a recent interview with Marie Claire, Roan’s stylist Genesis Webb confirmed that "many of our homages are to celebrate moments that aren't in the mainstream anymore and to bring them [back] into 2024 for her younger audience." She added that “[Chappell has] always been very vocal and considers it important to give back to the communities that have done so much for her.”
So today, let’s have a look at some of Chappell’s queer influences and how she has harnessed them throughout her career.
Drag Queens
When discussing the queer influences of Chappell Roan, the first thing on any list should be her complete respect and adoration for drag queens. The release of “Pink Pony Club” marked the beginning of her current era of success and prominently featured in the music video were famous LA drag queens Meatball and Victoria “Porkchop” Parker - a RuPaul’s Drag Race alum and the first queen to ever be eliminated from the show.
Victoria “Porkchop” Parker in the “Pink Pony Club” music video (2020) | Directed by Griffin Stoddard
More recently, Roan has incorporated references to Sasha Colby, winner of season 15 of Drag Race, into her presentation. At the opening of her first weekend at Coachella, Roan proclaimed herself as “your favourite artist’s favourite artist”, a direct reference to Colby’s statement “I’m your favourite drag queen’s favourite drag queen.” This public acknowledgement has recently resulted in Colby joining her onstage for a performance of “Hot To Go!” at Capitol Hill Block Party in Seattle.
Most prominent however, is Roan’s practice of having local drag queens open for all stops on her headline tour. “It's just a great way to engage the local queer community to that city… also it just gives a platform for the drag queens,” she said in a 2023 interview with People. “Some of these queens have never performed in front of a crowd that big before, and it's just fun.”
Fashion
One of Chappell’s most identifiable features is her costuming. Whether on stage, in music videos, or being interviewed, her high-drama costumes are inevitable, with many of them paying homage to queer media.
One of the most recognisable recent outfits was her costume for Kentuckiana Pride, where she dressed as the drag queen Divine from her appearance in John Waters’ Pink Flamingos (1972): pencil thin eyebrows, beauty spot, and overdrawn boobs all making an appearance.
Another point towards Roan and stylist Webb’s penchant for referencing cult classic queer films came only a week later at Bonnaroo. Chappell took the stage dressed as Gitsie from the film Party Monsters (2003), a biographical crime drama about the Club Kid scene in New York City in the 80s and 90s.
And who can forget THE cult classic of all time, Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)? Though unconfirmed, many have made note that the ‘standard’ Chappell Roan look of corsetry and big eyeshadow bears quite a resemblance to queer icon Frank-N-Furter and the costumes of the “Rose Tints My World” and “Sweet Transvestite” sequences of the film.
Chappell Roan onstage at Fort Lauderdale | Photo by Jon Manarang
Tim Curry as Frank-N-Furter in Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) | Directed by Jim Sharman
Politics
Importantly, Chappell is also open about her political beliefs. She made headlines for her performance at NYC’s Governors Ball music festival during pride month, revealing that she had turned down an offer to perform at the White House pride event.
“We want liberty, justice, and freedom for all,” she said. “When you do that, that’s when I’ll come.”
Roan in Lady Liberty drag at Gov Ball | Photo by Marleen Moise/Getty Images
Roan also combined her political statements with her fashion at Gov Ball, beginning the show by emerging from a giant apple dressed as a dragged-up version of the Statue of Liberty, painted green from head to toe. During the set, she grew emotional while speaking on the poem inscribed at the feet of the New York landmark.
“That [poem] means freedom and trans rights, that means freedom and women’s rights, and it especially means freedom for all oppressed people in occupied territories,” Roan said.
Seeing Chappell Roan’s bold embrace of all things queer, and her dedication to sharing them with her audience gives hope both for the future of her career and what she will be able to do with her platform, as well as future queer artists being able to share their true selves proudly. I, for one, can’t wait to see what comes next.