In Chappell we trust. Chappell Roan paid homage to her rural Missouri roots in her debut Grammys performance with an electric rendition of “Pink Pony Club.” Flanked by an army of rodeo clowns and seated on a massive pink horse, Roan (in bedazzled cowboy boots and plenty of fringe) belted out her first single as the crowd (led by Janelle Monáe) sang along. Roan’s performance was introduced by three-time Grammy winner Olivia Rodrigo, who invited Roan as an opening act on the American leg of her “Guts” world tour last year.
Few artists had as big of a 2024 as Roan, who burst onto the scene with her debut album “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess.” She nabbed six nominations at the 2025 Grammys: Best Pop Vocal Album, Best New Artist and Album of the Year for “Midwest Princess,” as well as Best Pop Solo Performance, Song of the Year, and Record of the Year for “Good Luck, Babe.”
Roan initially signed to Atlantic Records in 2015 after attracting attention by posting YouTube videos under her real name, Kayleigh Rose, but officially changed her stage name in 2016 to Chappell Roan in honor of her late grandfather, who died of brain cancer earlier that year. Though Roan released numerous singles, including “Pink Pony Club,” and toured with artists like Vance Joy, she was dropped from Atlantic Records in August 2020.
Roan spent the next two years working odd jobs as “Pink Pony Club” slowly began to climb in popularity, being named one of the best songs of 2020 by USA Today and “Song of the Summer 2021” by Vulture. In early 2022, Roan signed a publishing deal with Sony and reconnected with “Pink Pony Club” songwriter/producer Dan Nigro, releasing “Naked in Manhattan” as a single in February.
At the beginning of 2023, Roan set began her “Naked in North America” tour, releasing singles including “Hot to Go!” and “Red Wine Supernova” as well as recruiting local drag performers to open for her shows. In September 2023, Roan finally released “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” to kick off her second “Midwest Princess” tour.
