Chappell Roan, whose real name is Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, is a Missouri-born American singer-songwriter. Many of the songs on her debut album, which she co-wrote with Dan Nigro, are influenced by pop hits from the early 2000s and 1980s synth-pop. Her music usually focuses on the topics of love, self-discovery, and identity.

“The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess,” released on September 22, 2023, is Chappell Roan’s debut album, with a duration of 49 minutes and 8 seconds. This album has 14 tracks that are absolutely incredible. Since my first listen, I’ve been obsessed with almost every song from this album. This album holds no skips for me and has been on repeat ever since. The topics of her queerness, love, and challenges are so incredible to listen to, and every song is like a new page of a book, something refreshing and new to fall in love with (unlike some other albums I’ve reviewed here on Buzz Beats; read more about that here!). I also have to congratulate Chappell on her success! She recently performed at Coachella, and her set was incredible. She has an amazing stage presence and a great setlist, and overall, she is just so awesome to watch.

On her Instagram post announcing its release, she wrote, “This album is for the 10 year old girl from the Midwest who never thought she could be herself. The girl who felt shame from the day she turned 13 for having a deeper love for her girl best friend that was unlike anything she felt for boys. For the girl who was told to be proper and sweet and ladylike, but simply would never be.”

Now, let’s get into the review:

As I said above, this album has absolutely no skips on it. Every song has a new feel and new vibe, and is so interesting to listen to. Her music has such a way of getting through to the audience, and the topics are so incredible. Red Wine Supernova is the most popular song from this album, having 60,175,920 plays on Spotify alone, and is one of my favorite tracks. It’s such a fun song, and it feels like dancing around with friends during summer break, refreshing, fun, and carefree.

In an interview with Dork Magazine, a music magazine based in the United Kingdom, she talks about how much fun she had writing this album, and how enlivening it was. She stated, “Writing the album has just taught me to let go of being so serious, I’ve allowed myself to write things that maybe some would say is tacky, but actually, I just think it’s camp. It’s been a growing process of allowing myself to just have fun. I think the music industry, especially in the US, is very serious, and they don’t want you to have fun.” Dork’s Top 50 Albums of 2023.

Let’s now get onto some of my favorite lyrics from each song:

Femininomenon

• Hit it like rom-pom-pom-pom
  (Get it hot) Get it hot like Papa John
  (Make a b*tch) Make a b*tch go on and on
  (It’s a fem) It’s a femininomenon
• Stuck in the suburbs, you’re folding his laundry
  Got what you wanted so stop feeling sorry

Red Wine Supernova

• I’m in the hallway waitin’ for ya
  Mini skirt and my go-go boots
• Fell in love with the thought of you
  Now I’m choked up, face down, burnt out
• Well, back at my house
  I’ve got a California king
  Okay, maybe it’s a twin bed
  And some roommates (Don’t worry, we’re cool)

After Midnight

• This is what I wanted, this is what I like
  I’ve been a good, good girl for a long time
  But baby, I like flirting, a lover by my side
  Can’t be a good, good girl even if I tried
• I kinda wanna kiss your girlfriend if you don’t mind
  I love a little drama, let’s start a bar fight
  ‘Cause everything good happens after midnight

Coffee

• I’d suggest the jazz bar
  On MaryAnn Street
  But you’d buy me a drink
  And we know where that leads
• I’ll meet you for coffee
  ‘Cause if we have wine
  You’ll say that you want me
  I know that’s a lie

Casual

• I thought you thought of me better
  Someone you couldn’t lose
• You said, “We’re not together”
  So now when we kiss, I have anger issues
• Two weeks and your mom invites me to her house on Long Beach
  Is it casual now?
  I know what you tell your friends
  It’s casual, if it’s casual now
• Maybe we’d have an apartment
  And you’d show me off to your friends at the pier
• It’s hard being casual
  When my favorite bra lives in your dresser
  It’s hard being casual
  When I’m on the phone talking down your sister
• I try to be the chill girl but
  Honestly, I’m not
• I hate that I let this drag on so long, now I hate myself
  I hate that I let this drag on so long, you can go to hell

Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl

• He didn’t ask a single question
  And he was wearing these fugly jeans
• Uh-huh, I’m through
  With all these hyper mega bummer boys like you
  Oh yeah, I need
  A super graphic ultra modern girl like me
• Wearing nothing but glitter and lashes
  At every party we’re the party, shaking our a**es
• Walk that walk
  From Tokyo to New York
  With everything you feel
  And everything you are
  Walk that walk
• Hyper-sexy top to bottom girl like me

HOT TO GO!

• It’s all in my head but I want non-fiction
• Baby, do you like this beat?
  I made it so you’d dance with me
• H-O-T-T-O-G-O
  You can take me hot to go
• What’s it take to get your number?
  What’s it take to bring you home?
  Hurry up, it’s time for supper
  Order up, I’m hot to go

Picture You

• Do you picture me like I picture you?
  Am I in the frame from your point of view?

Kaleidoscope

• Whatever you decide
  I will understand
  And it will all be fine
  And just go back to being friends
• Turn it to the left and right
  Colors shinin’ in your eye
  And even upside down
  It’s beautiful somehow
• And if you ever find
  Someone who could write
  A better song for you
  Well, I’d love to see them try

Pink Pony Club

• And I heard that there’s a special place
  Where boys and girls can all be queens every single day
• Oh mama, I’m just having fun
  On the stage in my heels
  It’s where I belong down at the
  Pink Pony Club
• Won’t make my mama proud
  It’s gonna cause a scene
  She sees her baby girl
  I know she’s gonna scream

Naked In Manhattan

• New crush, high school love again
  The rush of slumber party kissing
• I’d love if you knew you were on my mind
  Constant like cicadas in the summertime
• A Pisces who knew that we were so aligned
  When I sing that Lana song, it makes you cry
  Mean Girls, we watch it every night
  And we both have a crush on Regina George
• If I don’t try, then it’s my loss
  An inch away from more than just friends

California

• Thought I’d be cool in California
  I’d make you proud
  To think I almost had it going
  But I let you down

Guilty Pleasure

• I fantasize what we would do
  And how would it taste?
  And the way you move
• Oh, some good girls do bad things too
• I want this like a cigarette
  Can we drag it out and never quit?
• You give me guilty, guilty pleasure

This album gets a amazing 9.1/10, and I stand by that and would defend it until the day I die. This album is absolutely incredible, and has a song on here for everyone. No matter what kinda music you’re into, definitely give this album a listen.

Find “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” by Chappell Roan on Apple Music, Spotify, and other major streaming services!