Chappell Roan performed at Joy Theatre Oct. 28 as part of her “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” U.S. tour.
Every show Roan performs has a theme, and New Orleans was pink cowgirl.
That night, a sea of pink cowgirl hats flooded the Joy Theatre to see Chappell Roan create magic onstage.
Roan opened with her song “Femininomenon,” and from then on, the show was filled with nonstop dancing while the crowd sang at the top of its lungs.
Roan’s setlist included every song from her new album plus a cover of Bad Romance by Lady Gaga.
Toward the end of the show, Roan stood while playing her keyboard and spoke to the crowd. She expressed that after her album’s release, Roan realized it no longer belonged to her — the album was the fans’ now, and she wouldn’t want it any other way.
Roan ended the New Orleans show with her songs “California” and “Pink Pony Club.”
Roan’s energy, stage presence and crowd interaction were impeccable. Roan performs as if she’s playing a sold-out stadium show, and at this rate, she probably will soon. Roan’s vocals rival the best performers, hitting intense vocal notes live and shocking the crowd with her melodic voice.
At her shows, Roan is always elaborately dressed in burlesque-style outfits, and she never stops moving – except maybe when she performs her heart-wrenching love ballads.
After releasing a string of singles, Roan released her first studio album titled “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess.”
Roan stepped full force into the music scene when her single “Pink Pony Club” went viral on TikTok. The songs’ rhythmic beat makes it seem like a dancing song, but with more attention to the lyrics, it’s noticeably melancholic.
The song references a young girl, dressed in exotic outfits and high heels, who dreams of dancing on a stage. To her mother’s disdain, the young girl leaves home to chase the stage lights. Roan sings, “And mama, every Saturday/ I can hear your southern drawl/ A thousand miles away, saying/ ‘God what have you done?’” Roan’s lyrics somehow manage to hold depth and be light-hearted all at the same time.
In the new album, Roan’s song lineup includes melodious ballads about self-reflection and heartbreak. To break up the queue of heavier songs, the album includes some hyperpop songs that must be added to every club playlist.
In the name of self-reflection, the song “California” is about feeling homesick and nostalgic for a place you no longer belong to. The lyrics, “I’d make you proud/ To think I almost had it going/ But I let you down/ Too hard to find reasons to stay/ Even true love could not persuade/ ‘Cause I was never told that I wasn’t gonna get/ The things I want the most,” are pure poetry.
In Roan’s more hyperpop song, “Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl,” she conveys a feeling of confidence and self-affirmation. Roan sings, “He doesn’t have what it takes/ To be/ With a girl like me/ Not overdramatic/ I know what I want/ We’re leaving the planet/ And you can’t come.”
Recently, Roan appeared on Elton John’s radio show “Rocket Hour.” The two conversed about how their shared love for outlandish stage clothes and for writing songs that people can sing and dance to. Roan expressed that her favorite thing about performing is the ability to create a space where everyone can dance freely and have fun together.
All in all, Chappell Roan is on the rise in popularity. I guess you could say the Midwest princess is rising, not falling.
