Chappell Roan’s Rise to Fame

If you’ve been anywhere on social media, whether it’s YouTube, TikTok, or any other social platform, the chances are, you’ve heard about Chappell Roan or one of her songs. But how did she go from being a nanny and barista to winning Best New Artist at the VMAs? While she might seem like she came out of nowhere, her career spent years in the making, so let’s dive into everything that got Chappell Roan to where she is today.

Chappell Roan got her start on YouTube by releasing covers of songs, but at 16 she released her song, “Die Young” and caught the eye of many record labels. She was eventually signed to Atlantic Records in 2015, at 17 years old. She released her first album, School Nights, under Atlantic Records that very same year and went on to open for singers such as Vance Joy and Declan McKenna. During this time she met music producer Dan Nigro and began working with him in what would turn out to be a lasting collaboration. 

However, things took a drastic turn in 2020 when she was dropped from Atlantic Records after releasing her song “Pink Pony Club”. It was difficult to find work in LA during the pandemic so she moved back in with her parents in Missouri, but didn’t stay there for long. A couple of months later she came back to LA to give her music career one more year before she would move home permanently. 

She began writing songs with Dan Nigro again and released music as an independent artist. In 2022 she released 4 singles, “Naked in Manhattan”, “My Kink is Karma”, “Casual”, and “Femininomenon”. She gained a sizable following on social media and went on to attract the attention of other artists like Olivia Rodrigo, who she opened for on the GUTS World Tour. She went on tour at the start of 2023 and signed on with Island Records so she could release her debut album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess which would result in her going on tour for a second time. 

In 2024 she released her song “Good Luck Babe” which was an instant hit and rose as high as #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. She performed on Jimmy Fallon’s “The Tonight Show”, Saturday Night Live, at Coachella, and the VMA’s. As you can see, Chappell Roan has had many ups and downs in her career but let’s hope she continues to release more amazing hits.

Sources

Andrew, Scottie. “Chappell Roan’s Rise to Stardom Has Been 10 Years in the Making. Here’s How She Became Famous.” CNN, CNN, 11 Sept. 2024, www.cnn.com/2024/09/11/entertainment/chappell-roan-who-is-cec/index.html.

Bellusci, Olivia. “How Chappell Roan Rose to Fame.” Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024, www.newsweek.com/entertainment/celebrity-news/how-chappell-roan-rose-fame-1978235. Accessed 17 Jan. 2025.

Caruso, Catherine. “How Did Chappell Roan Get Famous?” Biography, 14 June 2024, www.biography.com/musicians/a61100342/how-did-chappell-roan-get-famous.

Daw, Stephen. “Billboard Explains: Chappell Roan’s Rise to Pop Stardom.” Billboard, 24 June 2024, www.billboard.com/music/pop/chappell-roans-rise-to-pop-stardom-billboard-explains-1235716718/.

Hoskin, Olivia. “How Chappell Roan Became 2024’S Breakthrough Artist.” Forbes, 13 Sept. 2024, www.forbes.com/sites/oliviahoskin/2024/09/13/how-chappell-roan-became-2024s-breakthrough-artist/.