When an artist has an insanely quick rise to the mainstream, it’s hard not to sit back and admire them as their hard work, dedication, and passion for their craft begin to pay off. In the case of Chappell Roan, this was more of a slow burn. She released her debut album in September of 2023, but as the year turned to 2024, she really started to gain traction.

From February through April, she was the opener for Olivia Rodrigo’s “Guts World Tour”. In those two months, she spent with Rodrigo, her streams rose 32%. In that time she also was the musical guest for “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” as well as having an NPR Tiny Desk Performance released in March. 

She would then go on to release her biggest single to date in “Good Luck Babe!” Although not included in her album, it served as a catalyst for the album’s success domestically and abroad. In June the album entered the top 10 of the Billboard 200 chart for the first time and ended up peaking at #2 on the chart. By August, it had peaked at over 100 million streams and #6 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking her first song to achieve both of those milestones.

In April she performed at Coachella. This was her first festival appearance and the one that started her record-breaking attendance numbers. During her July performance at Lollapalooza, she drew the biggest daytime set and largest crowds ever seen at the festival. History-making stuff. 

When it comes to the album, it’s as good as a debut album can be. We start the album with “Femininomenon”. A ridiculously catchy opener that starts out slowly but then makes a transition to a more upbeat and high-paced half of the track. Lyrically solid and sonically solid. 

We then get my personal favorite track on the record “Red Wine Supernova”. Sonically, it’s the best by a very large margin. Lyrically it tells the story of Roan falling in love, out of love, and everything in between and I love how she tells it.

When you think of the song title “After Midnight” you likely won’t think of a song that has an upbeat and overall cheerful vibe to it. The song evaluates the nightlife of a majority of young people across the globe and how going clubbing “after midnight”, exploring new things, and finding joy in taking risks is what makes life worth living. 

“Casual” is the cry anthem of the record. It’s the song that makes you want to crawl into a ball in the corner of your room and never leave. It tells the story of Roan in a relationship or “situationship” which is everything to her, but to her partner, it’s just casual. Roan gave this person her everything, only for it to not be reciprocated. This song is truly one that makes you feel in a way that very few of the other tracks on this record do. 

“Hot To Go!” is one of those songs that’s meant to be performed live. Sure you might be jamming out to it in the comfort of your home or your car, but you’ve truly never experienced the track how it’s meant to if you haven’t thrown up your arms to “H-O-T-T-O-G-O!” live in concert or at a festival. This upbeat, cheerleader-style anthem will make you want to jump, dance scream, and feel all those feelings no matter where you are. 

“My Kink is Karma” is one of those songs that will provoke either a disappointed reaction or a validating and normal reaction. The track tells the story of Roan feeling good and her ex doing bad. Toxic? Sure. Chappell herself validates this saying “Ah, it feels so nice that my ex is doing horrible! Which is insanely toxic.” 

The first time I listened to “Kaleidoscope,” I thought, with the name, we were going to get this colorful track, but the soft vocals with the piano bring in such a comforting feeling, which gets even better with the sorrowful lyrics combined. The lyrics tie in with the theme of queer love and relationships, but this time, it’s about falling in love with a friend, particularly a female friend, and it’s not always working out because ‘love is a kaleidoscope’ (Confusing, elaborate filled with variety). 

This album is as well-rounded and as perfect as debut albums come. She just brings forth all the sentiments of queer joy within her music and makes all the vibes ‘glittery’ through her fun-filled musical videos and stage presence. She spoke when somebody couldn’t; she created a platform for those who could not, and with it, safety for anybody and everybody.

Now the question remains, can this album take home album of the year? In short; maybe?
In the long; it’s hard to judge where the academy will go. I love this album and I think it’s a great contender for the award, but the field remains insanely strong so it’s hard to judge where the academy will go with this pick. Would I love it if it did? Yes. Do I think it will? No.