Not Just ‘Luck’: Why Queer Pop Star Chappell Roan Broke Through to the Hot 100, And Why It Matters

Rogers was one of the first pop stars to achieve fame by unintentionally captivating the Internet, and, strangely, she was also one of the last. These days, virality is not so much a lightning strike as a marketing scheme, reverse engineered by executives and masquerading as serendipity. A. & R. representatives often scout new talent by dissect... See more

She also intentionally dictates how her community should engage—for example, by suggesting “themes” for different tour dates to bring the fanbase together. She both expresses herself and pulls self-expression out of her fans.

Chappell Roan is one of the most interesting new celebrities to study because she embodies so much of what the younger gener... See more

Gen Z is the queerest generation in history: It’s stunning to watch the speed with which norms are changing. Gender, masculinity, and sexuality are each becoming more fluid, more complex, more multi-faceted.

As the queer community swells in both size and vibrancy, new businesses are emerging to serve the community. Millions of people who felt overlo... See more

“The internet has broken the distance that a lot of artists used to have,” Charli xcx told The Observer ahead of the release of Brat . ​“What gets me interested in an artist is when they have – not really a backstory, it’s more like lore ...”

In that moment, she defined the common thread between 2024’s biggest pop successes. From Brat summer to Tay... See more

It turns out that both of the smash-hit tracks are performed by Chappell Roan, a pop singer who’s suddenly everywhere — and earning comparison to early-years Madonna.

One idea suggested by Royal is that the label’s opinion — and the radio station’s — is about to matter a lot less. All of a sudden, if you can grow a big enough social following, you can make a living off whatever music makes you happiest. This is somewhat true today, of course, but primarily to musicians who can live off touring and streaming reve... See more