Chappell Roan combines the vocal acrobatics of Kate Bush with the humor of a drag queen and the honesty of a drunken voicemail. Her music celebrates the chaos of queer dating, the pain of growing up in a conservative town, and the euphoria of finding yourself on the dance floor. This is pop with a capital P and an exclamation mark.
10. Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl
This track sounds like tearing through a futuristic city in a fast car, on your way to the best party of your life. It is glam-pop on steroids. Here, Chappell sings about the ultimate transformation: from the boring girl watching from the sidelines to the “ultra modern girl” claiming the spotlight. The beat bounces, the lyrics are hilariously specific (“He doesn’t have a job!”), and the chorus is incredibly infectious.
9. California
Behind all the glitter and bravado lies loneliness. “California” is the heartbreaking answer to her dream of making it in LA. Where other songs celebrate fame, this one is about the hangover: missing the seasons in Missouri and the feeling that you have failed. “Come get me out of California.” She sings it with a sob so genuine you want to personally go and pick her up.
8. Naked in Manhattan
The first time you fall in love with someone of the same sex, everything feels bigger, scarier, and more cinematic. This track captures that specific tension perfectly. With references to Mean Girls and a chorus that begs to be touched (“Touch me, baby”), it is an ode to the exploration of her own sexuality.
7. Femininomenon
If you want to know what “camp” means, listen to this. Chappell created this word to describe a phenomenon so magical it almost doesn’t exist (just like a man with a good sense of rhythm, according to the lyrics). The song starts as a quiet ballad and completely derails into a hyperactive beat. The “Did you hear me? Play the fucking beat!” break is already legendary.
6. My Kink Is Karma
Instead of crying over an ex, Chappell fully enjoys their downfall here. “People say I’m jealous, but my kink is karma.” It is spiteful, it is petty, and it is wonderfully relatable. The production is tight and dark, and the music video, in which she appears as a devilish clown, underscores the message: schadenfreude is the best form of entertainment.
5. Casual
The term “situationship” received its own anthem. “Casual” is about the painful reality of dating without a label: all the intimacy (“Knee deep in the passenger seat”), but none of the recognition. The chorus builds up like a scream of frustration. Chappell sings about the moment you realize you are being used, and the anger that comes with it.
4. HOT TO GO!
Sometimes you just want a cheerleader chant for adults. This track is pure energy and has its own dance (H-O-T-T-O-G-O) that is so simple everyone can do it after one try. It is about lust, about wanting to be seen, and about taking someone home. The synthesizer loop is irresistible, and live, this song turns every audience into a massive gym class.
3. Pink Pony Club
This is Chappell’s semi-autobiographical story about a girl from Tennessee who moves to West Hollywood to become a go-go dancer, against her mother’s wishes. The build-up is masterful: from the understated piano intro to the explosive disco climax on the dance floor. “God, what have you done? You’re a pink pony girl.” It is an anthem for anyone searching for their own chosen family and freedom.
2. Red Wine Supernova
Red Wine Supernova is a celebration of lesbian love that is just as over-the-top as the title suggests. Chappell describes her crush as a “Playboy Brigitte Bardot” and throws out one sexual innuendo after another (“I’ve got a wand and a rabbit”). It is cheerful, summery, and sounds like a song you would scream along to in a convertible with the top down.
1. Good Luck, Babe!
This is the song that turned Roan into a global star. “Good Luck, Babe!” is a masterpiece of 80s synth-pop with lyrics that cut like a knife. She wishes an ex-lover (who leaves her for a man because she is afraid to come out) good luck, with the sarcastic knowledge that she will regret it. “You’d have to stop the world just to stop the feeling.” The vocal belt at the end is spine-tingling. It is triumphant, tragic, and euphoric all at once.
