The full story of her meteoric rise to fame so far

Chappell Roan, arguably the lesbian star of the year, has topped the charts and won our hearts in 2024, but how did she get here, and where did she come from?

The singer-songwriter will be rounding out an impressive year with an appearance on Netflix’s variety music special A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter, where the pair will sing a duet.

Carpenter will also perform with Tyla, Shania Twain and Kali Uchis.

Roan’s spectacular breakthrough has been stunning to witness and as 2024 draws to a close, we wanted to reflect on how his queer star has gone from her humble beginnings on YouTube to the chart-topping badass she is today.

When did Chappell Roan blow up?

Roan’s breakthrough began gaining momentum in 2023 with the release of her debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, but it took until early this year before her music began reaching the masses.

Her journey first began when she uploaded “Die Young” on YouTube as a 17-year-old relative unknown. That led to her signing with Atlantic Records.

Once critics had praised the album, she started getting noticed more and more, and was a support act for Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts world tour.

Performances at Coachella and Governors Ball Music Festival left fans thrilled and begging for more. Roan obliged with the release of her single “Good Luck, Babe!” which topped the charts in the UK, Ireland and New Zealand, and broke into the top five on the US Billboard 200.

Chappell Roan’s cancelled tour gigs

However, her rise has not been without its problems.

She pulled out of several gigs, citing the need to focus on her mental health, soon after facing a backlash for refusing to endorse Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris. There were “problems on both sides” of the political spectrum, the star insisted.

Some criticised her, believing she was suggesting Harris was bad as Donald Trump, despite his infamously poor record on LGBTQ+ rights. Roan doubled down on her stance, saying: “There is no way I can stand behind some of the left’s transphobic and genocidal views.

“So, yeah, there are huge problems on both [sides]. You know what is right and wrong, and so do I.

“F**k Trump for f**king real, but f**k some of the s**t that has gone down in the Democratic Party that has failed people like me and you, and, more so, Palestine and every marginalised community in the world.”

The singer has also faced a backlash after voicing concerns about her boundaries and criticising unforgiving fans, the paparazzi and media professionals for their treatment of people in the public eye.

Chappell Roan at the VMAs 2024

Roan’s Video Music Awards performance will long-be remembered. She brought the house down with her rendition of “Good Luck, Babe!” and marched across the stage in a suit of armour – Joan of Arc chic – surrounded by pyrotechnics.

To top the evening off, she took home the gong for best new artist. In her acceptance speech, she thanked the “girls and the gays.”

“I dedicate this to all the drag artists who inspire me, and I dedicate this to all the queer, trans people who inspire pop. I see you, I understand you because I’m one of you,” she said.

And on the red carpet, when a photographer reportedly told her to “shut the f*** up”, she responded with: “No, you shut the f*** up. Don’t! Not me, b***.”

Speaking about the incident later, Roan said – again – that she wasn’t complaining about her success, but rather the “abuse” that is normalised in the music and entertainment industry. 

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What’s Chappell Roan’s real name?

Her real name is Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, a name she has expressed a dislike for. She adopted her stage name in 2016.

That new name honours her grandfather Dennis K Chappell, and is a nod to his favourite song: Curley Fletcher’s “The Strawberry Roan.”

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Does Chappell Roan have a girlfriend?

It seems so! In a recent interview, she revealed there was someone special but also talked about a hesitancy to commit to a relationship.

“I met this girl I really like but I can’t commit because I feel no one understands me,” Roan admitted to Rolling Stone magazine in September. “She’s so awesome and so secure in herself and has told me: ‘No pressure, we can just be friends if you want’.

“I don’t want to date another artist because they’re f***ing nuts. I’m so avoidant because I’m like: ‘She’ll never get me. She’ll never get it’.”

A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter premieres on December 6, 2024, at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, only on Netflix.

Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.