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

Carpenter speaks to sexual freedom and playfulness, Perry aims to inspire female empowerment, Roan encourages self-acceptance in the face of tribulation, and even Kesha thinks you should love yourself first before anyone else, after all. So it seems the greatest source of sonic comfort during such a difficult time is as much turning inwards, with j... See more

Meanwhile, a fixation on honesty continues to pervade popular arts discourse, music included. Indie scenesters have historically been the ones to agitate most over authenticity, but in the golden age of confessional pop music, the aesthetic concern with honesty isn’t limited to subculture anymore. Direct access to artists’ personal lives seems more

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