Unless you are part of a dedicated legion of fans now proclaiming you ‘liked her before she was big’, it’s probable you had never heard the name Chappell Roan until recently. In the span of just a few months, the American singer has gone from small-town obscurity to viral fame, performing at and appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Her ascent has been rapid, but it’s clear that Roan is a musical artist with staying power – no small feat in the attention-deficit age.
She has already built a distinctive look and a collection of catchy songs, from dance anthems to devastating ballads. The singer’s powerful, emotive vocals have drawn comparisons to Kate Bush and , and it's not hard to see why. So, who is the singer that Rolling Stone is heralding as ‘the future of pop’? Born Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, the performer chose the stage name ‘Chappell Roan’ as an homage to her grandfather, Dennis K Chappell, who died in 2016, and his favourite song, ‘The Strawberry Roan’ by Curley Fletcher.
Rebranding as Chappell also allowed the aspiring star to create a more confident on-stage identity, which she refers to as her Hannah Montana, or drag persona. This separation helped to inform her maximalist aesthetic (think The Rocky Horror Picture Show meets Claire’s Accessories..
. but make it fashion). An air of mystery surrounds the real life of 26-year-old Kayleigh Amstutz.
Internet sleuths know relatively little about her upbringing and personal experience.
