By Shaye Ritchison
Chappell Roan’s music is a powerful expression of queer identity and visibility, using bold lyrics, performances, and images to demand attention when it comes to challenging societal norms, and creating a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community. Born in a small, conservative town in Missouri, Roan discovered her love for music early into her teenage years, and spent her adolescence honing in on her passion for songwriting and performing. At only seventeen years old, Chappell was signed to her first record label and was able to release her first EP when she was twenty years old. As Roan grew more into her sexuality, she released her hit song, ‘Pink Pony Club,’ in 2020 and was dropped from her record label, forcing her to become an independent artist. With help from a songwriter she had come close to, Daniel Nigro, in 2022 Roan was able to rebrand herself and her music, presenting herself as a campy, drag queen who focused on queer pop music, (Rojas, 2025). She was signed to a new record label in 2023, and was able to release her debut album, The Rise and Fall of the Midwest Princess, containing many hit songs such as, ‘Casual,’ and, ‘My Kink is Karma’. Six months after releasing her debut album, Roan released a single titled, ‘Good Luck, Babe!’ which put Roan on the charts, and catapulted her career as a pop diva. Since then, Roan has achieved international success, has performed at countless music festivals, and has formulated a massively supportive fan base.
By understanding Chappell Roan’s background and identity as a queer woman, we can further understand how her music and performances act as a rhetorical response to social issues, and the restrictions she faces as a queer artist in today’s society, which we can analyze through Lloyd Bitzer’s concept of, “The Rhetorical Situation.” Through her unapologetic display of her queer identity and her advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community, Roan’s music and performances are able to serve as a rhetorical act, consistently challenging societal norms and empowering queer communities by openly discussing her struggles as both a queer woman, and an artist.
The Rhetorical Situation
Exigence-
To gain a better understanding of how Chappell Roan’s music serves as a rhetorical act, it’s essential to first explore the social context that inspired her to use her voice and speak up, which can be identified by the exigence, or the societal issue that she is fighting against. Roan’s music is deep rooted within advocacy for queer individuals, as well as their representation, and acceptance. Her music is able to explain the intricacies of queer relationships and coming into your queer identity, while also focuses on breaking certain expectations that may come with the identity, and learning how to embrace your true self. The exigence in Chappell Roan’s music can be closely associated with both the personal, and societal pressures of coming out, potentially not feeling accepted, and learning how to navigate a world that often silences, or reprimands queer individuals. Through her art, Roan can challenge these societal norms that excludes LGBTQ+ members, and advocate for visibility, acceptance, and equality for the community.
Through her work, Roan addresses the concept of queer representation in both music, and mainstream culture, or the lack thereof. Mainstream culture is known to be made up largely of heteronormative content, and where there is recognition for the LGBTQ+ community, it is often depicted in a less serious light than heterosexual individuals and relations. Queer women specifically are often sexualized and discredited in mainstream media, often used for heterosexual male pleasure. Popular global artist Drake released a song titled, ‘Girls Want Girls,’ where his lyrics states, “she said she’s a lesbian, girl, me too,” (Drake, Genius). While to some this lyric may seem harmless, this lyric is lessening the complexity of queer identities by painting them in a light that is more focused on male desire, rather than respecting the identity of queer women. Similarly, rapper ASAP Rocky in his song ‘Pretty Flacko,’ stated, “she’s a lesbian, I’m a lesbian too / but she’s not gay for me.” ASAP has also said, “Turn a dyke b*tch out, have her f*cking boys”, and “I look so f*cking good most dykes would f*ck me,” both appearing in separate songs.
These lyrics, and many more out there, dismiss the sexual identity of queer women, and depict them as being made to serve the desires of straight men. This sexualization of queer women is relaying the message that their identities are purely for the validation, or entertainment of the men around them, which heavily implies that sexuality is something that can be “changed,” or “decided.” On top of this stereotype that is being reinforced through mainstream culture, another strong message regarding queer women is about the fantasization of watching/having two queer women be intimate. While there are many examples to include, this message has long existed in mainstream music, again portraying queer women’s relationships as existing for male pleasure, which is a form of both objectification and fetishization.
While mainstream music has often sexualized queer women, and reduced their identities to objects of male desires, Chappell Roan’s music fights back by advocating for visibility, providing a platform where queer identities are not just accepted, but celebrated. Roan makes this exigence clear in her songs explaining the deep mental, and emotional challenges that come with being a queer individual. Roan’s song, ‘Casual,’ depicts the intense feelings and almost guilt that comes with developing a homosexual relationship, as well as the confusion of where the boundaries lie in a non-stereotypical relationship. Using her platform, Roan is able to share her stories which heavily resonate with the queer community, and provide a space for individuals to share their similar experiences and thoughts. In her hit song, ‘Pink Pony Club’, Roan talks about the struggles of growing up in a small conservative town, knowing deep down who she was, and not wanting to disappoint her religious family, but not being able to ignore her true identity. In the opening verse she states, “I heard that there’s a special place, where boys and girls can all be queens every single day,” and the song proceeds to explain how she cannot ignore her calling despite the fact that the chorus states it, “Won’t make my mama proud, it’s gonna cause a scene / She sees her baby girl, I know she’s gonna scream,” (Roan, Genius). The chorus chillingly comes from her mother’s perspective, stating, “God, what have you done?” as her reaction to seeing her daughter embracing her sexuality, and identity.
Audience
By examining songs such as, ‘Casual,’ and, ‘Pink Pony Club,’ where Roan directly addresses common challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community, we can imagine how her music resonates with her audience, who are primarily younger queer individuals looking for representation in the mainstream media. As Roan is quite young herself, many of her personal experiences turned into pop songs are easily relatable to younger LGBTQ+ members, who may not feel fully connected, or confident with their identities yet. Besides her main target audience of the LGBTQ+ community, Chappell Roan has a secondary audience, which would be those who may not be familiar with the LGBTQ+ community and queer issues, or those who may have judgements against queer people. For this audience, Roan is able to use her lyrics to turn the complexities of queer identity into something understandable by those who are unfamiliar with these topics. Through her songs, Roan integrates themes of love, and self-acceptance, which allows even non-LGBTQ+ members to relate, or at least engage. The usage of her personal experiences as well as the integration of relatable emotions allows Roan to break those barriers that divide heterosexual and homosexual individuals, and create a space that is safe for all to connect. Her platform is strongly used to challenge heteronormative standards, and to encourage individuals to confront their own biases by allowing people to see that queer experiences are just as real, and complex as any human’s.
Constraints
While Chappell Roan’s relationship with her audience is crucial for her message, she also faces many challenges within the music industry, as well as society when it comes to her ability to express herself. While there have been many notorious instances of queer musicians creating music, and creating that safe space for LGTBQ+ members, not many of them are able to achieve the approval of mainstream music due to societal norms. Even as we watch Roan grow into stardom in real time, we know that not all of her songs will be held to the same standards. Roan’s songs ‘Pink Pony Club,’ and ‘HOT TO GO!’ are arguably her most “mainstream” songs, and are played on local radio stations. While the prevailing theme in those two hits is to love and accept yourself the way you are, Roan has many other songs that dive deeper into the intricacies of being a queer woman in today’s world, and the sexual endeavors that may entail. Her song, ‘Red Wine Supernova,’ tells a story of a girl who meets another girl and spontaneously invites her to spend the night. Another one of her songs, ‘Naked in Manhattan,’ comes from the perspective of two girls who are friends, but both are curious and are growing closer to becoming more than that. The lyrics read, “baby, put your lips on mine / Could go to Hell, but we’ll probably be fine,” (Roan, Genius). By making this kind of music, Roan is one of the only mainstream artists who is challenging those societal norms of the idea that queer people cannot discuss their sexuality.
Although we’ve had queer artists join mainstream music, such as Lady Gaga, Lil Nas X, Sam
Smith, etc., you notice that none of their queer songs played on the radio are sexually explicit. Lil Nas X specifically faced immense amounts of backlash once it was realized by the public that his hit songs were in fact about two men hooking up. Once faced with this “controversy,” radio stations began to play his songs, ‘Call Me By Your Name,’ and ‘Montero,’ much less. Roan is attempting to not only normalize the sexuality of queer people, but is actively fighting against the mainstream expectations and standards that say that it shouldn’t be discussed. Despite understanding that she may receive backlash and hate for this, Roan stands up against a heteronormative culture that has cultivated an entire audience who actively resists, and refuses to accept queer representation.
Resources
While Chappell Roan faces significant constraints due to both societal and industry expectations, she uses her vulnerability and creative expression to turn these constraints into opportunities for both visibility, and empowerment. Knowing that the mainstream culture doesn’t want to hear about a queer woman’s escapades, Roan pushes back by continuing to release her unapologetic, queer anthems. Recently, Roan released a new single titled, ‘The Giver,’ where Roan humorously compares herself to a straight white man when it comes to satisfying women, with the lyrics stating, “Other boys may need a map / But I can close my eyes / And have you wrapped around my fingers like that” and, “Ain’t no need to hurry, cause baby, I deliver / Ain’t no country boy quitter / I get the job done,” (Roan, Genius). When asked about the song, Roan stated she thought a country song about lesbian intimacy would be both, “freeing and funny,” and that she wrote it taking inspiration from the song, ‘Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy),’ (Lutkin, 2025). While performing the song, Roan includes the adlibs, “All you country boys saying you know how to treat a woman right / Well only a woman knows how to treat a woman right!” In the live performance, Roan leans heavily into country culture, while still expressing her drag queen inspired style, appearing in cowboy boots and a plaid rhinestone outfit, with her signature drag makeup and hair.
Roan’s ability to mix a traditional culture, such as country culture, with her queer representation and expression is a prime example of her overcoming the constraints that come with heteronormative ideals, and standards that are implanted within mainstream society. To promote her new song, Roan flooded the streets of popular cities with large billboards and posters (see below), depicting her as various professionals with comedic taglines weeks leading up to the release. Despite all of the criticisms and complaints Roan hears from those who want to push a heteronormative agenda, Roan fearlessly promotes herself and her art for exactly what it is: queer pride. Creating a country song as a queer woman that’s about being intimate with another woman in a space that is predominantly heteronormative, was Roan’s way of standing out and being the one to push those traditional boundaries, which amplifies the messages of empowerment, and self-expression within her music.
Stewart’s Persuasion in Social Movements
Additionally while Chappell Roan uses various tools such as her bold lyrics, imagery, and other musical elements to challenge societal norms, these tools also serve as strong persuasion strategies which can inspire both advocacy, and acceptance for LGBTQ+ rights. Within Roan’s work, she often uses an emotional, or pathos, tactic in order to encourage listeners to embrace their identities, as well as accept those who are a part of the LGBTQ+ community. With her casual and informal, but brutally honest lyrics, Roan almost gives her listeners no choice but to resonate with her, or at least empathize with her. As she is shifting cultural norms, and encouraging queer acceptance, Roan’s music is actively contributing to the queer rights movement. Especially in today’s world, where queer individual’s rights are being reconsidered, and transgender individual’s rights are being stripped, Roan uses every chance she can to utilize her platform to advocate for not only societal acceptance, but societal change. In her infamous Grammy appearance, Roan used her time on the red carpet to call for action against those who want to transgender erasure, saying, “It’s brutal right now, but trans people have always existed and they will forever exist and they will never, no matter what happens, take trans joy away,” and, “I would not be here without trans girls. So just know that pop music is thinking about you and cares about you and I’m trying my best to stand up for you in every way that I can,” (Specter, 2025). Additionally to advocating for the LGBTQ+ community on this night, Roan also used her time on stage after winning an award to call out the music industry, and labels who take advantage of their musicians. Her speech stated, “I told myself that if I ever won a Grammy and got to stand up here before the most powerful people in music, I would demand that labels in the industry profiting millions of dollars off of artists would offer a livable wage and health care, especially to developing artists,” and, “Record labels need to treat their artists as valuable employees with a livable wage and health insurance and protection,” (Specter, 2025). Roan is able to stand up against certain standards not only for queer representation, but for social injustices overall.
According to Stewart, within a group of individuals fighting for social change there must be a feeling of unity, belonging, community, or identity, (Stewart et al., 2012). As Roan is a queer woman herself, her music and calls to action are immediately intensified, as they are adopted by the entire LGBTQ+ community, and rights movement. A bond is formed within this group, and they not only want to fight for themselves, but they want to fight for one another. When a group of individuals unite over a similar belief, it gives them the power needed to fight for the societal change that they need, which is what Roan’s music is creating a space for. This is a concept called identification, and essentially means that when a group of individuals recognize similar values within one another, they are able to come together and create a stronger force. Roan is fully transparent about her experiences, feelings, and attitudes through her music, which allows her music to symbolize her freedom of expression, and self identity. Frequently performing in front of rainbow colors, or while holding a rainbow flag which symbolizes gay pride, relays her message of sexual freedom and rights. Stewart explains that flags tend to serve America as a sacred symbol, or emblem, having the power to relay the message of an entire community. Roan consistently using this symbolism translates into a sense of belonging, and visibility for those who see it and can identify with it.
Conclusion
By examining how Chappell Roan is able to use her music to challenge societal norms, and to advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, it becomes evident that her work is able to serve as a strong example of how music and art can shift cultural constraints. This paves the way for conversations about representation, acceptance, and overall social justice in a broader perspective. Through Lloyd Bitzer’s concept, “The Rhetorical Situation,” we can clearly see that Roan’s music and persona resemble a rhetorical act, through her lyrics, imagery, and performances. Roan is able to captivate audiences with her daring approach to the mainstream music industry, and is able to fight through centuries of stereotypes and discrimination in order to bring an entire community together, and show them that they are accepted as they are. Her artistic choices, and her commitment to queer visibility have started, and play a huge role in, a larger conversation about LGBTQ+ representation and rights. Due to Roan’s music, future generations of queer artists, musicians, and listeners can all be inspired to live their lives as their true, unapologetic self.
Works Cited
Chappell Roan – naked in Manhattan lyrics | genius lyrics. Genius. (n.d.-a). https://genius.com/Chappell-roan-naked-in-manhattan-lyrics
Chappell Roan – pink pony club lyrics | genius lyrics. Genius. (n.d.-a).
Chappell Roan – the giver lyrics | genius lyrics. Genius. (n.d.). https://genius.com/Chappell-roan-the-giver-lyrics
Drake – Girls Want Girls Lyrics | Genius Lyrics. Genius. (n.d.-b).
Lutkin, A. (2025, March 13). What Chappell Roan’s “The giver” lyrics really mean. Chappell
Roan’s ‘The Giver’ Lyrics Are a Flirty Invitation. https://www.elle.com/culture/music/a62796213/chappell-roan-the-giver-lyrics-explainer/
Rojas, M.-J. (n.d.). Chappell Roan (musician). Rolling Stone.
Specter, E. (2025, February 3). Chappell Roan gave the speech of the night at the 2025
Grammys. Vogue.
https://www.vogue.com/article/chappell-roan-gave-the-speech-of-the-night-at-the-2025-g rammys
Stewart, Charles J., et al. Persuasion and Social Movements. Waveland Press, 2012.