Chappelle Roan stormed onto the music scene and isn’t backing down! Who is she and where did she come from? Also, why is she making such a drastic stance right in the beginning of her career?
Chappelle Roan, Kaleigh Rose Amstutz, was born in Willard, Missouri. She took on a stage name to honor her grandfather, Dennis Chappell. Chappelle started playing the piano at 10 and took lessons at 12. The now 26 year old got her start on YouTube when she uploaded her original song, “Die Young.” Atlantic Records was the first to see her and picked her up right away when she was only 17 years old, so she’s been in the game for 7 years now. After signing her first deal, Chappelle toured, opening for Declan McKenna, Fletcher, and Olivia Rodrigo. Her first single, Pink Pony Club, was released at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. Sadly, she was dropped from Atlantic that year.
Fast forward a couple years after a bit of a break, Chappelle decided to release a few songs independently. Then in 2023, Island Records signed the pop princess and she released her first album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. Several Best Albums of 2023 included Chappelle’s debut, even without much commercial success. However, a cult following embarked Chappelle on the fast track to stardom in 2024.
Roan has played to huge crowds at Coachella , the Gov Ball, and Lollapalooza. Normally, Lolla will play the smaller artists during the day, and save the more notorious ones for the evening. However, when booking Chappelle, it looks as though they weren’t prepared for the massive crowd she was incur as her early timeslot was PACKED. In fact, about 110,000 people were in attendance, which is unheard of in the early hours of Lolla.
However, the invasive actions of some fans has caused Chappelle to take a very much needed stance on privacy and boundaries. In a couple Tik Tok videos she’s uploaded, Chappelle has said, “I don’t care that abuse and harassment, stalking, whatever, is a normal thing to do to people who are famous or a little famous. I don’t care that this crazy type of behavior comes along with the job, that does not make it ok. It doesn’t mean I want it. It doesn’t mean I like it.” Watch the entire video below:
@chappellroan Do not assume this is directed at someone or a specific encounter. This is just my side of the story and my feelings.
I think every new artist, every celebrity, can get behind Chappelle’s message. When Billie Eilish first came on the scene, Justin Bieber very famously took her under his wing because he wanted to protect her from what can be a very scary industry.
Chappelle has skyrocketed in the industry! With her head in the right place and knowing what to look out for, I’m confident she will make a name for herself while making becoming a wonderful role model for all young people on how to say no when you’re uncomfortable.
photo courtesy of FaceBook