The Art of The Opener: the Rise of Chappell Roan

Chappell Roan performs at Justin Tranter And GLAAD Present “BEYOND” Spirit Day Concert on Oct. 19, 2022, in Los Angeles, California. Source: Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for GLAAD/TNS

Now that Chappell Roan has finished her run as the opening act of Olivia Rodrigo’s “GUTS World Tour,” the Midwest Princess seems to only be gaining momentum. 

For avid listeners of queer music, Chappell Roan is probably a familiar name to you already. The singer-songwriter has garnered a cult following since her 2020 single “Pink Pony Club” was released. Though it initially failed to perform to her former label’s standards, the song helped the young singer establish herself. 

In late 2023, her debut album “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” dropped, containing smash hits like “Red Wine Supernova,” “Casual,” and “HOT TO GO!

While Roan already had a sizable fanbase due to her TikTok virality (leading nearly all of her singles to become trending audios), the pop princess proved her skill to much larger audiences on tour with Olivia Rodrigo.

Since her first show with the “GUTS” juggernaut, fans of Rodrigo have quickly taken to Roan’s electric stage presence and powerful vocal ability. Her performance exceeded expectations and cemented her as a bona fide superstar who can hold her own whether she’s opening for another artist or headlining her own tour (which has fewer and fewer tickets available with every passing day).

As her popularity grows, Roan continues to use her platform to celebrate queer art by employing local drag performers for her solo shows and centering her music on explicitly sapphic relationships and themes.

Now that Chappell Roan’s name has been brought into the spotlight, the trajectory of her career only looks up. 

On April 5, Roan released her latest single “Good Luck Babe,” a track that she teased as the “first song in the next chapter” in a March 25 Instagram post. In the short time it’s been out, the song has already reaped over 8 million streams.

Though there is no additional information at this time regarding what the next “chapter” entails, one thing is certain: Chappell Roan’s meteoric rise to superstardom shows no signs of slowing down.

Chappell Roan will perform at Coachella on April 19 before returning to her “Midwest Princess” tour. Information regarding tickets, merchandise, or music can be found on her website.