The Rise & Fall Of A Midwest Princess

Chappell Roan's debut turns the distance between a conservative small-town upbringing and a new queer life into vivid pop scenes. The songs move between exuberant performance and private disappointment, with Dan Nigro's production giving her voice room to become theatrical without losing its conversational detail.

“Pink Pony Club” imagines a place to belong, while “Casual” describes a relationship whose terms hurt more than its name suggests. That contrast carries through the record, so the big choruses feel connected to specific desires and difficult decisions.