Chappell Roan – the girl who broke the internet in a matter of days. Her work includes sensation songs ‘Casual’ and ‘Good Luck Babe!’ which went viral on TikTok, breaking her into the music industry with a bang.

Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, otherwise known as Chappell Roan, had been working for years to break through into the mainstream music industry, being signed then dropped, and signed again, she started gaining a cult following on social media and an overnight audience. This led to her playing main stages and sold-out gigs in places such as Lollapalooza and Coachella only a year after her breakthrough album was released. 

The one unique thing about Chappell is her dress sense. Roan defines her onstage persona as a form of drag, taking inspiration from drag icons and crafting a new, unique and personal aesthetic. Roan has become a voice for the queer community, of freedom and expression, and her outfits reflect this ownership of her sexuality. 

One of her most iconic looks to date is the ‘Statue of Liberty’ look for Coachella. Roan was painted green, with the crown, torch, and wig, emerging out of a giant apple and painting her picture-perfect image of the American icon. Dancing across the stage, she became a caricature of stereotypical American patriotism, while bringing together her audience with her own form of musical expression. She stands for the American self-expression and art. 

Another contribution to her overnight success is her viral ‘Tiny Desk’ concert. Roan wore a short hot pink dress, a white painted face, blue eyeshadow, and a tiny tiara situated in a bouffant ginger wig. Again, Roan’s use of extremes to portray her character here emphasises this almost perfect prom queen look, but with a smudge of lipstick on her teeth, she’s pushing this stereotype to extremes and almost laughing at it whilst still taking inspiration from it. Again, Roan’s persona is heavily focused on being bigger than just her singing. Not only is she a very talented vocalist, but her stage act also incorporates dance, clothes, and makeup. Each crowd gets a different look, and each memorable aesthetic is associated with that gig, that point in her career, as it grows and becomes synonymous with her journey upwards. This includes looks such as her ‘Wrestler’ look at ‘Lollapalooza’ and her ‘Marie Antionette’ style ballgown. 

Roan has brought something new to mainstream pop and her sense of fashion has been intrinsic to her incredible success. She’s willing to be slightly different and to push the boundaries. She is also willing to, like in drag, take beauty to new levels, to emphasise features, and play with the very premise of beauty itself. This is a particularly important value in the world today, where the beauty standard is consistently shrinking to a narrowminded and unachievable stereotype. Roan encourages variation and self-expression, which is quintessential in both her own success and the reinforcement of individuality in today’s society.

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