Chappell Roan on Country Icons, Her Enneagram, & the Long Road to Pop Stardom

Chappell Roan is a believer within the Enneagram check, which categorizes character varieties. “I judge people based off their Enneagram,” she instructed me on a chilly spring day in Manhattan. Roan used to be on the quilt shoot for W, wearing a closely structured and generously padded Marc Jacobs glance, her hair pouffed right into a nimbus cloud of pink frizz. “I’m an eight on the Enneagram scale,” she endured. “Eight is the Challenger.” She smiled. “It’s one of the most difficult numbers, because they challenge everything.”

In the previous yr, Roan, who’s 27, has long past from being a digital unknown to having international reputation. Her lyrics, which can be a birthday party of queer lifestyles and love, matched together with her exciting voice and kooky level presence, have catapulted her into celebrity standing. At the 2025 Grammy Awards, Roan used to be nominated for 6 awards; she gained the hotly contested class of Best New Artist. Her latest liberate, “The Giver,” rose briefly to No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart the similar week it debuted at No. 5 at the Hot 100 listing, a unprecedented feat for a feminine vocalist, particularly because the lyrics are about intercourse between ladies.

Roan makes those triumphs glance simple, however she has had a bumpy street to good fortune. She used to be born Kayleigh Rose Amstutz and grew up in Willard, Missouri, a small conservative the town. Her mom is a veterinarian, and her father runs the circle of relatives apply. She used to be raised in a strict Christian family—the circle of relatives went to church 3 days per week, and Kayleigh attended Bible camp.

But Kayleigh at all times had a voice—she turned into recognized in her homeland as “the girl who could sing.” At 17, she signed a file deal and followed Chappell Roan as her level call, after her grandfather (Dennis Chappell) and his favourite tune (Marty Robbins’s “The Strawberry Roan”). Unfortunately, Roan’s 2017 debut EP, School Nights, used to be no longer a success; neither used to be the 2020 liberate of “Pink Pony Club,” her anthem in regards to the exhilaration of discovering your tribe in a homosexual bar in West Hollywood. Roan used to be briefly dropped via her label.

In retrospect, this may were a blessing in hide: Roan had to to find her id as a performer. She went house to Missouri, labored in more than a few jobs, and stored cash for her go back to Los Angeles. Emboldened and impressed via drag queens, she began to broaden the bedazzled, outrageous, passionately homosexual character we now know. When Roan went again to L.A., she signed with the manufacturer Dan Nigro, who had lately had massive good fortune with Olivia Rodrigo. “Three or four days into meeting Chappell, I was convinced she was a superstar,” stated Nigro, who gained Producer of the Year (Nonclassical) at this yr’s Grammy Awards.

Roan took her onstage personality severely, rejoicing in the concept no outfit might be too excessive. In live performance, she went from “Barbie Swan Lake” (a white feathered headdress) to essentially the most dazzling promenade date (a pink strapless robe) to the Statue of Liberty (inexperienced frame paint and a silver crown). In 2023, “Pink Pony Club” used to be rereleased as a part of her debut album and went directly to turn into an international hit. A yr later, at Lollapalooza, Roan stole the display in a fancy dress that used to be a mixture of lucha libre wrestler and Wonder Woman. By then, her songs had been inescapable: It’s unattainable to listen to “Hot to Go!” and no longer need to sing alongside.

When Roan walked into the W photograph studio at 9:30 a.m., she used to be indubitably Kayleigh quite than Chappell. She’s 5 toes two and quite subtle. Her very best, light pores and skin used to be scrubbed blank, and her hair used to be tucked right into a hoodie. She appeared very younger. Her make-up artist, Andrew Dahling, began to color a rainbow on her brow, and the transformation started. “If a 5-year-old could draw a pop star, it would be me,” Roan has stated. But while you fuse the accessibility of a cartoonlike personality with an implausible vocal vary and nice songs that include a message of liberation, you get greater than a pop big name—you get a challenger. Roan smiled. “The Challenger’s life purpose is to seek justice. And I feel like that’s for me.”

After your first file deal used to be canceled, you left L.A. and went again house. How did you stay hope alive?

Whenever I used to be running at my part-time jobs, like nannying or the drive-through or doughnut store, I saved hope alive as a result of I knew I used to be actually excellent. I knew I needed to simply give it yet another yr. And I were given that braveness via, truthfully, simply being in hell for a long time. I used to be like, this sucks so dangerous, however stay going. Every day I’d suppose, Keep going, despite the fact that there used to be no sight of any gentle on the finish of the tunnel. Zero! But I used to be like, what if it’s simply across the nook? What if I ended the day ahead of that one thing is supposed to occur? So I simply saved going, and right here we’re!

Did you develop up being attentive to nation tune?

Yes. I like nation tune. I listened to numerous George Strait, Dwight Yoakam, and Dolly Parton. And I like Shania Twain such a lot. I simply love campy nation songs. I heard them at the bus each and every morning or at soccer video games: It used to be nation being performed over the large audio system. I feel nation is the campiest tune! And so is steel.

Country tune is understood for narrative-based songwriting—it tells tales. I feel that’s additionally true of your songs.

Country tune taught me find out how to write narratively.

When used to be the primary time you heard your self at the radio?

I feel it used to be in an Uber when I used to be on excursion. I heard “Good Luck, Babe.” I grabbed my good friend’s hand and I used to be like, “Oh my fucking.…” But I didn’t scream. I don’t sing at the side of myself. I by no means concentrate to my very own tune. If it’s out, I don’t need to pay attention it. I’ve heard it masses and masses of instances.

What’s the primary tune you bear in mind making a song?

“Oops!…I Did It Again,” via Britney Spears. My mom took me out of gymnastics as a result of I did the Britney dances as an alternative of being attentive to the gymnastics instructor. I additionally sang, “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”

You auditioned for The Voice and America’s Got Talent. What did you sing?

When I auditioned for The Voice, I used to be 15 and I sang “Stay,” via Rihanna. That used to be when the Bruno Mars tune “When I Was Your Man” used to be actually giant, and I assumed I used to be so distinctive in switching it round and making a song “When you were my man” and making it about gender. But each and every girl used to be like, “I’m switching it around.” By the way in which, after I did the Voice audition, the manufacturer or whoever the fuck used to be looking at didn’t even glance up from his telephone. He used to be like, “Okay, next.” And I went up there and sang a cappella, the scariest factor ever. He by no means actually checked out me. With America’s Got Talent, I used to be 13, and we flew to Austin, Texas, and waited in keeping with hundreds of other people at 4 a.m. I sang “True Colors,” via Cyndi Lauper. Did no longer make it both.

What used to be your favourite Halloween gown?

It’s not that i am a Halloween girl. My favourite Halloween costumes I like from afar, as a result of I’m at all times the whinge who has the cat ears on and that’s it. My paintings outfit is like Halloween! But when I used to be a kid, I used to be a pink M&M for 3 years in a row.

Why pink?

Girl, that’s what used to be at Goodwill!

Have you observed variations of your self at Halloween?

Yes! I’ve observed such a lot of child Chappell Roans. There’s such a lot of other outfits to make a choice from! That is one thing new prior to now six months—the target market is rising to incorporate youngsters, and it’s so lovable. “Hot to Go!” taught them find out how to spell and dance.

You simply went to Fashion Week in Paris. What used to be your affect?

I don’t know why I anticipated each and every display to be two hours lengthy, however they’re actually 9 mins, 12 mins. It used to be more or less refreshing. I used to be within the make-up chair for the whole thing of Paris Fashion Week—it used to be so loopy: converting seems, converting wigs, move, move, move. I didn’t understand that this used to be a dream I at all times had. But it used to be very attention-grabbing for my psyche, as a result of after I walked into a way display, it had not anything to do with a efficiency I used to be about to provide, or a speech, or writing a tune. It used to be really as regards to how I appeared. I don’t know if I need to really feel that means at all times, however I assumed it used to be unbelievable to put on those outfits. The Valentino, specifically, used to be so beautiful. It used to be superb.

Do you get starstruck?

I am getting starstruck via drag queens! There’s this queen right here in New York named Janelle No. 5, and I noticed her on Sunday, and I used to be the whinge who used to be like, “I’m sorry—I don’t mean to bother you!” In my head, I used to be pondering, What are you doing? But, for me, she’s like royalty!

What tune or movie or TV display makes you cry?

“I Can’t Make You Love Me,” via Bonnie Raitt, makes me cry each and every time. And I sobbed so arduous looking at the movie Roma; it’s so stunning. And I simply watched a documentary about Linda Ronstadt. I cried on the finish as a result of she has Parkinson’s illness and he or she misplaced her voice. It simply put such a lot in standpoint, like: fuck the whole thing; I be capable to use my voice! She’s probably the most biggest vocalists of all time, and to peer her combat used to be gut-wrenching.

What is your puppy peeve?

When other people name-drop. I instantly don’t agree with them. I’m no longer the girl to care about that stuff. It is a direct turnoff in a romantic or a friendship means. I’m like, in case you name-drop, I’m most certainly no longer going to be your good friend.

Where used to be your first kiss?

In my folks’ driveway. I used to be 15. I made the transfer. I generally make the primary transfer! We were seeing every different, happening dates each and every weekend for a month, and I used to be like, it’s time to kiss. It used to be amusing. But I’d say that kissing ladies is funner.

At the Grammys, while you accredited your award for Best New Artist, you gave the look to be studying from a diary. Is that your precise diary?

Yes. I’ve been maintaining a diary for—oh my god—like, 15 years. I began in center faculty. I like having a look again at what I needed to say as a 12-year-old. I wrote that on a daily basis used to be “horrible.” It’s superb to peer what would spoil my day again then. It felt as dramatic as my lifestyles feels now. Throughout my lifestyles, I had a terror of shedding my reminiscence, so I saved a magazine to log these types of necessary occasions. As I’ve gotten older, it’s been more difficult and more difficult to stay a diary. Sometimes, after I’m having a foul day, I gained’t magazine, as a result of I gained’t need to bear in mind.

Have you been requested to be in motion pictures?

I met John Waters closing night time, which used to be insane. One of my idols! And I used to be speaking about how there are most effective such a lot of “firsts” you’ll be able to have along with your profession. And he stated, “No, no, no—there are all the firsts to go through when you become an actress!” And I stated, “I’m not an actress—what are you talking about?” He stated, “Every singer is an actress!” And I used to be like, k, perhaps I’m! Damn! If John Waters says I’m an actress, perhaps I’m!

Hair via Mustafa Yanaz for Bumble and Bumble at Art + Commerce; make-up via Andrew Dahling for MAC on the Only Agency; beauty treatment via Dawn Sterling for Dior Beauty at E.D.M.A. World. Set design via Nicholas Des Jardins at Streeters. Prop fairies via Rhea Thierstein and Sophie Lincoln.

Produced via Hudson Hill Production; govt manufacturer: Wei-Li Wang; manufacturer: Arbelis Santana; first photograph assistant: Antonio Perricone; lighting fixtures director: Dean Dodos; photograph assistant: Tom Maltbie; virtual technician: Charley Parden; retouching: Touch Digital; styling assistants: Liv Vitalie, Cash Weaver, Dylan Gue, Tyler VanVranken, Lila Hathaway; manufacturing assistants: Jarrett Funderburk, Linette Estrella; hair assistants: Rachel Hopkins, Sinaia Campora; make-up assistant: Tommy Tafoya; artwork assistants: Jeankarlos Cruz, Kirk Palsma, Andrew Riley, Bella Anselmi, Alexa Harrington; tailor: Todd Thomas.