The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess- the fun, flirty, and unapologetically gay album of 2023
Sincerely, a lesbian who can't stop listening to "HOT TO GO!"
If there is one phase in my life that I have to work the hardest to not dwell on, it’s when I first realized I’m a lesbian. Despite having an aversion to men and dating – and being a vocal LGBTQ ally and Little Monster (Lady Gaga fan) – growing up, I did not realize I was a lesbian until I was in my early twenties. After this realization, I became another form of a little monster. I became the messiest version of myself. I wanted things I hadn’t before, causing me to enter a new and unfamiliar era of questioning who I was and what I wanted. To keep it simple, I was a hot and confused mess.
During this perplexing time, I found comfort in lesbian movies like The Miseducation of Cameron Post and searched for posts that would say the words that, at the time, I couldn’t. I could barely say the word lesbian out loud without feeling like there was a big rainbow lump in my throat every time I tried. While searching for posts, I noticed that the most common posts were the cottagecore type of posts, about how pure love between two women is and how sapphics want to go on picnic dates and put flowers in each other's hair. Everything seemed so innocent and pure and, I'd argue, sexless – the complete opposite of Chappell Roan’s debut album The Rise of Fall of a Midwest Princess.
The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess released by Chappell Roan (born Kayleigh Rose Amstutz) is fun, flirty, and gay, not in a cutesy and innocent way, but in a messy and complex way. In the song “Casual,” she sings about a lover viewing a relationship as being ‘casual’ when things have become ‘serious’ and wanting that same person to see her as more than a friend in her song “Picture You.” In “My Kink is Karma,” Chappell Roan lets it be known that she despises her ex, wishes her the worst, and enjoys watching her fuck up. As she proudly puts it, “People say I'm jealous, but my kink is watching you ruin your life.”
Multiple songs on Midwest Princess, like “Naked in Manhattan'‘, can be described as campy, amusing, and enjoyable songs about being hot, gay, and in the mood for a good time. “After Midnight” is all about loving those late nights out dancing, seeing a bar fight, and kissing everyone you can because, as Roan says, “Everything good happens after midnight’.” She dramatically sings about being hot and free in a campy way in “HOT TO GO!” Similarly, through “Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl” – a song with an infectious beat – Chappell Roan makes it known that she will not settle for anything less than what she wants and deserves.
Chappell Roan’s rise to fame hasn’t been a steady one. “Pink Pony Club” was originally released when she was signed to Atlantic Records. In 2017, she released a five-track EP School Nights—Roan was only 17 and figuring out her sound. After the EP and “Pink Pony Club” underperformed, she was dropped from the label, moved back to Missouri, and almost gave up on her dream; “California” is about this troublesome time in her life. Choosing to persevere through this period of uncertainty, she moved back to Los Angeles and is now signed to another label and entering a new level of fame. Her latest release, “Good Luck Babe”, a song with a killer bridge, became her first entry on the Billboard Hot 100.
In an era where the term ‘nepo baby’ and conversations about who is deserving of the career they gained from their name continue to be a hot topic online, it’s nice to see someone’s dream of moving from their small town to LA and becoming famous —while living authentically— come true. And with “We need less sex in media'' still being a popular sentiment online to the point that if someone tweeted, “We should bring back the Hays code!” I wouldn't be able to tell you if they were joking, it’s nice to hear Roan explicitly sing about sex without an ounce of subtlety. “Knee deep in the passenger seat and you’re eating me out / Is it causal now?”
Whether she’s singing about letting someone she loves go, accepting her queer identity, her dreams of making it, being hot and horny, or gleefully hating her ex, you can hear how unquestionably self-assured she is throughout the album. Roan doesn’t feel the need to shy away from sharing how she feels or downplay her desires, like in the lyrics below:
This confidence shines and thrives when she performs these songs live. During a moment, at her recent Coachella performance, Roan stared straight into the camera and confidently stated, “My name is Chappell Roan, and I’m your favorite artist’s favorite artist. I’m your dream girl’s dream girl. And I’m gonna serve exactly what you are: C*nt!’. Afterward, Roan posted the following to her Instagram story:
My favorite drag queen is @sashacolby. She famously said ‘I’m your favorite drag queen’s favorite drag queen.’ Me saying ‘I’m your favorite artist’s favorite artist’ at Coachella was a nod to her, how much I admire her, and how much drag is intertwined with my project. She’s everythinggg 2 me. “My outfit choices, song choices, writing style, hair/makeup, etc. are all nods to the queens I look up to. I try to honor my queer elders; those who came before me. I am always referencing someone or something. It’s all very intentional. Camp is camp. Pop is pop. I’m not taking myself or aesthetic seriously, because that’s no fun. I want to have fun.”
Roan’s campy, drag queen aesthetic is evident in many of her performances, including her recent Tiny Desk Concert where she performed songs from her debut album in her signature big red hair, a puffy dress, drag makeup, and red lipstick-stained teeth.
Plus, in an era where too many songs are less than 3 minutes long and whisper singing/ talking singing is popular, it’s nice that Chappell Roan relates to none of this. She is theatrical, interesting, and—I can’t stress this enough—changes things up! She’s not singing monotonously over a boring, uninspired beat, she’s screaming, “Did you hear me? play the fucking beat!!!”
What makes The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess an album that I can’t seem to get tired of listening to is the way Roan seemingly accepts the messiness and fear that comes with being queer and doesn’t sugarcoat or sanitize common experiences among the LGBTQ community. For me, the album is about self-expression with no shame, accepting what you need, and pushing through your fears to create the life you want for yourself while remembering to enjoy those fun and messy nights. When I was first figuring this whole lesbian thing out, I didn’t know exactly what I needed. Now, I know that what I needed was to believe that even if I was damned to end up in hell, it'd be worth it because lesbianism, in all its complexity, is worth it.
Even though I now confidently identify as a lesbian, I can still use a reminder that it’s okay to be a hot lesbian mess at times and not have it all figured out. A reminder that life will be messy, regret and anger are a part of living, and perfection is a joy killer. And — most importantly— a reminder that for the time being, maybe I just need to let myself live a little, kiss a stranger on a Saturday night, and “never waste a Friday night on a first date.”
Okay, you’ve convinced me to listen 🙂↕️🫡