During a spectacular, sold-out performance at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, pop sensation Chappell Roan, 27, openly shared with her ecstatic audience of over 13,000, “I never imagined I’d reach this level of success.”
This revelation might seem unexpected from an artist who, both in her music and live shows, exudes a commanding presence and imperial confidence, as if the world—or even the entire galaxy—is hers to conquer.
Yet, it was also a perfectly authentic statement from an artist who has cultivated a deep bond and trust with her fans by always speaking her truth. As Roan explained, with increasing fame come expectations: “People think, ‘You’re at this level now, you should act a certain way.’ I’ve adapted to that reality, but I don’t have to accept it.” The thunderous applause from the crowd—a sea of fans decked out in vibrant makeup, pink cowboy hats, and playful Chappell Roan-inspired attire—confirmed that her candid approach resonates deeply.
Roan’s recent four-night residency in Queens launched her ‘Visions of Damsels & Other Dangerous Things Tour,’ a unique and concise series of shows that further underscores her commitment to carving out her own path, far removed from the conventional strategies of emerging pop stars.
Despite her explosive breakout year, Roan deliberately chose a different trajectory for this tour. Instead of immediately escalating to massive arenas, the ‘Damsels’ tour features eight intimate ‘pop-up shows’ in mid-sized stadium venues across only three cities: New York, Kansas City, and the Los Angeles area. She described this as a unique opportunity to deliver something special before retreating to work on her next album.
Both performances I witnessed were electrifying. They felt less like a glimpse into Roan’s future and more like a celebratory victory lap, concluding the extended, triumphant era of her 2023 sleeper hit, “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess.” This album, which traces a young, queer woman’s journey of romantic self-discovery, is characterized by bubblegum synth-pop. However, live, Roan and her all-female band amplify the music’s inherent rock ‘n’ roll spirit to its absolute maximum.
With her signature cascading curls, new-wave makeup, and a striking leopard-print ensemble, Roan commanded the stage, evoking an ’80s video siren who had seized the microphone from a flashy hair-metal singer, unleashing her own powerful, resonant voice. Her stage presence, combined with dynamic, frequently changing costumes inspired by both harlequin romances and ‘Game of Thrones,’ saw an energetic Roan navigating a dramatically lit gothic castle. Her inspired decision to cover Heart’s “Barracuda”—even joined one night by Heart’s Nancy Wilson on guitar—unmistakably declared: Chappell Roan is a rock star.
Many of Roan’s tracks are ingeniously crafted for live performance, building gradually to intense, cathartic explosions. Take the infectious ‘Hot to Go,’ where an escalating pre-chorus erupts into a massive hook with an easy-to-follow dance—a jubilantly queer reimagining of the ‘Y.M.C.A.’ The vengeful anthem ‘My Kink Is Karma,’ a true highlight of the show, gained even more power live, propelled by her band’s fierce percussion and wailing guitars. For the set’s powerful finale, ‘Pink Pony Club,’ Roan barely needed to sing, as the audience’s passionate singalong filled the stadium. This song, celebrating the freedom found on stage, perfectly encapsulates how vital Roan’s incredible live showmanship has been to her rapid ascent.
While ‘The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess’ initially struggled to gain traction upon its 2023 release, selling only 7,000 copies in its debut week, 2024 saw Roan steadily capture widespread attention through her captivating live shows. She opened for Olivia Rodrigo in February, charmed a massive online audience with her NPR Tiny Desk Concert in March, and delivered a show-stopping, star-making performance at Coachella in April. Her rendition of ‘Pink Pony Club,’ a compelling single first released in 2020, at this year’s Grammys felt like a crowning moment, with music industry veterans—many likely unfamiliar with her a year earlier—rising to their feet to sing along.
The Forest Hills set list served as a powerful statement of Roan’s unwavering confidence in her debut album, indicating no immediate plans to rush a follow-up. This is a refreshing stance; in an era flooded with re-released deluxe editions and uninspired bonus tracks, many artists would quickly capitalize on a hit. It would have been effortless—and profitable—to expand her concise 14-track album with singles like “Good Luck, Babe!” and other B-sides, perhaps rebranding it as ‘The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess: The She Is Risen Edition.’
However, Roan has demonstrated exceptional restraint and a strong commitment to quality control in her release strategy. In the two years following ‘Midwest Princess,’ she has released only three songs: the vibrant “Good Luck, Babe!,” the playful pop-country track “The Giver,” and the melancholic breakup ballad “The Subway.” The latter, with its dreamy wistfulness, evokes Alanis Morissette covering a Cocteau Twins track, sounding distinct from current radio hits. ‘The Subway,’ a live favorite debuted at last year’s Governors Ball in New York while Roan was famously dressed as a taxi, was a song she initially wasn’t even sure she wanted to record.
This measured pace is partly a conscious strategy to protect her mental well-being, a priority Roan has often voiced. Forest Hills served as a poignant starting point for the ‘Damsels’ tour, being the very venue where she withdrew from the All Things Go Festival last year due to personal reasons. While her decision garnered both support and criticism, she has consistently shown a disinterest in bending to the perceived pressures of fame. Her recent choices suggest a focus not on unrestrained, rapid expansion, but on mastering sustainable and strategic growth.
In contrast, fellow rising pop queen Sabrina Carpenter has embraced a completely different approach, with its own set of advantages and challenges. Last month, she unveiled “Man’s Best Friend,” a collection of playful tracks serving as a cheeky follow-up to her Grammy-winning album “Short n’ Sweet,” released almost exactly a year before. While “Man’s Best Friend” offers some creative highlights and a new infectious hit in “Manchild,” it generally falls short of its predecessor’s charm, flirting with pushing Carpenter’s artistic persona into self-parody.
However, the existence of “Man’s Best Friend” means Carpenter has already navigated the pressure of following up a successful album. She’s now poised to embark on a new series of arena concerts for her ‘Short n’ Sweet Tour.’ Conversely, the more time Roan takes, the greater the anticipation—and thus the expectations—for her next move will become.
Nonetheless, at Forest Hills, such industry pressures seemed irrelevant. Her two newest singles resonated powerfully: ‘The Giver’ exploded as a vibrant call-and-response anthem, while ‘The Subway’ magnificently highlighted the raw, emotional depth of Roan’s vocals. Even the ballad ‘California,’ a poignant track from ‘Midwest Princess’ reflecting an artist yearning for recognition, gained new significance, transformed into a triumphant declaration on a sold-out stage.
“People often tell you, ‘If it hasn’t happened yet, maybe it’s time to move on,’” Roan sang, her words imbued with fresh irony in a captivated, sold-out venue. She seemed to be asserting that she had patiently awaited her moment, and now, she would progress entirely on her own terms and timeline.