Chappell Roan was born to do this

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She’s quickly become a sensation, winning a Grammy for Best New Artist and landing four songs in the top 10 since September 2024. Her concerts are hugely popular, with fans showing their support by wearing pink cowgirl hats.

At just 27 years old, Chappell Roan has quickly established herself as a major new force in pop music. However, she’s not just a powerful singer and songwriter – she’s known for being incredibly generous and kind to her fans.

On Friday night, as her band played the beginning of her song “Hot to Go!”, Roan looked out at the crowd of tens of thousands of people spread across the grassy area around the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

She announced they were going to teach the audience a dance, but most fans likely already knew it. For over a year, videos of Roan’s supporters performing a synchronized routine – similar to the ‘Y.M.C.A.’ – to the energetic chorus of “Hot to Go!” have been all over social media.

Roan announced with a playful tone of disbelief, “I’m noticing a dad out there who isn’t participating!” The band immediately stopped playing. She repeated, now sounding less surprised and more gently scolding, “There’s a dad who isn’t joining in.”

“But he looks really, really nice, so I’m not gonna do anything about it.”

Roan’s Friday night concert at Brookside at the Rose Bowl was her biggest headlining show yet, and it marked the start of the final two dates on her short U.S. tour, ‘Visions of Damsels & Other Dangerous Things.’ These shows in New York, Kansas City, and Pasadena feel like a celebration of the growing success she’s experienced since releasing her debut album, ‘The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess,’ in 2023. The album has produced several hits beyond ‘Hot to Go!’, including ‘My Kink Is Karma’ and the very popular ‘Pink Pony Club’.

Roan’s latest hit, with over a billion streams, tells the story of a young queer woman experiencing her first sexual awakening in a West Hollywood gay club. Her music combines catchy synth-pop, disco, and glam rock with the emotional depth of classic ballads, exploring themes of pleasure, heartbreak, and finding yourself.

After touring European festivals this summer, she described her upcoming ‘Visions of Damsels’ shows as a chance to do something memorable before she begins working on her next album. The short tour is also strategically timed to keep her top of mind as Grammy nominations are considered, as her single ‘The Subway’ is expected to be a contender for both Record and Song of the Year, alongside other songs released since her album ‘Midwest Princess’.

The concert wasn’t just a display of Roan’s talent and charisma – the stage, designed as a dramatic gothic castle with plenty of staircases, really highlighted her close connection with her fans. Many in the audience showed their support by dressing up as characters from her iconic looks, like harlequins, majorettes, prom queens, and even construction workers.

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I’m so excited to see Hayley Kiyoko’s shows at the Rose Bowl completely sell out! It feels amazing that she’s bringing so much energy to the queer nightlife scene here in L.A., especially right now when things are tough for our community with everything going on politically and economically. It’s a real boost for all of us.

About halfway through her 90-minute performance, Roan sat on a large throne with a small stuffed animal – her ‘tour pet,’ as she called it – and shared the story of moving to Los Angeles from her hometown in Missouri almost ten years ago.

She described her first five years as incredibly difficult, noting she initially lived in Altadena. Early in her career, she was dropped by Atlantic Records in 2020 when they decided her album, “Pink Pony Club,” wouldn’t be a success. While she expressed strong affection for the city – earning cheers with a defiant shout-out against ICE – she also mentioned feeling a strange sense of formality when performing onstage in Los Angeles.

She acknowledged the presence of many people from the entertainment industry, but asked everyone to put work aside. “Let’s not talk about work at all,” she said, hoping to recreate the carefree feeling of being thirteen years old. She chuckled at the thought.

She fell silent, saying she felt foolish. Then, she sang the sad song “Coffee” as if she were revealing her deepest, most frightening secret.

The castle set was very detailed, but Roan’s performance was simple compared to today’s pop concerts. She didn’t have any dancers or guest stars, and her outfit was unique – she started with a full costume and gradually removed pieces until she was wearing a dragon-skin bikini.

Chappell Roan’s concerts aren’t just performances—they’re defined by her captivating stage presence. She’s an incredibly gifted artist who expertly conveys emotion and attitude, and her playful, theatrical style actually deepens the beautiful sadness in her songs.

Her voice was flawless but full of energy, and she was backed by an amazing band that transformed songs like “Good Luck, Babe!” and “Red Wine Supernova” into powerful, 80s-inspired rock anthems. She even performed Heart’s “Barracuda” with so much confidence and attitude, she rivaled Nancy Wilson’s legendary guitar playing.

Roan’s performances are known for being lively and unique. Her show “The Giver” was a high-energy, upbeat experience, while “Naked in Manhattan” was a playful and suggestive electronic-pop show. For “Picture You,” a song about wanting to understand a partner’s hidden thoughts, Roan performed while serenading a blonde wig placed on a microphone stand – a strange visual she presented with complete sincerity.

The most moving part of the concert was when Roan performed “Casual” and then immediately transitioned into “The Subway.” These are her most heartfelt songs, and she sang them with incredible ease and power.

The singer realized the usually helpful father wasn’t participating in “Hot to Go!” Perhaps he was simply too distracted to join in.

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2025-10-12 02:31