Chappell Roan

Movie Prompt: Elaborate and risque costumes, bold colors, dramatic makeup, and performances. The current “Queen of Pop” Chappell Roan is bringing back fun, synth, 80s vibe, and pop music, and is loved by everyone young and old. But Chappell Roan wasn’t always Chappell Roan, whatever happened to Kayleigh Rose Amstutz? Is she still a part of Chappel Roan or is she her own separate person, separate from Chappell, just a girl from Missouri? Do they ever cross over?  Why even create this alter ego with a stage presence reminiscent of the 80s and simultaneously the pop stars of today?  The use of musical alter egos while not new is gaining popularity among artists today. Her split identity while about keeping her personal life private and public persona out there, it is about more than just that.  Creating a split identity between an individual and the artist behind the art gives the artist increased freedom in the art they make. It is not Kayleigh wearing over-the-top drag-esque makeup, it’s Chappell. That freedom is bringing new life to the music and artists of today; allowing them to take chances without fear of personal scrutiny. The split between her personal life and stage persona gives an authentic feel to her music and her fun and quirky personality draws in fans of all ages, genders, and sexualities, encouraging other artists to follow suit. 

Formal Prompt: I’m going to research Chappell Roan, or at least the persona that is Chappell Roan,  and how Kayleigh Rose Amstutz separates her life between the 2 identities, as well as why. This relates to the course as it is a divided identity of one person, Chappell, Roan and Kayleigh, which is talked about specifically in Leo Braduy’s theory of divided identity. I chose this topic as she is one of the biggest pop stars in the world, but she lives it as a persona and not her. She has said that Chappell Roan is a “drag persona” for her and bolder than she is. She is like a modern-day Hannah Montana without the secret life, just a private one. I think it is a very niche realm of the entertainment industry right now but will grow in the near future with an increase in parasocial relationships. Artists will adopt more “drag personas” for not only creative freedom but also the freedom of private life. I know she sees Chappell as a more bold person than herself and she specifically prefers to be referred as Chappell and not Kayliegh as that is not who makes the music or is famous. She has had fans contact her family and her job, making her emphasize the separation between Chappell and Kayleigh and the boundaries between her and fans. Leo Braudy’s mainly because it refers to conflicts between divided identities and I think as an artist it would be inevitable for the two to cross over at one point, or at least difficult to maintain. I’ve reached into Chappell Roan and her life story a little bit as well as the meanings begins her artistic choices and lifestyles. I narrowed it down once I found the very detailed article on her life that she interviewed for as it gave me more than enough info on her and her persona. My hypothesis is that these drag personas in music will become more popular as we see a rise in parasocial relationships. Or, We will see an increase in these personas to allow for more freedom and separation between artists, their art, and the person behind it all. What are the reasons people would create these personas? Are there more benefits than disadvantages? Does it get hard to balance and keep the 2 separate? Does it draw or enforce boundaries between fans and artists? Fans have become less aware/ respectful post-pandemic and feel entitled to be close to their favorite artist. They feel it is a competition to be the closest and prove it to the artist (reaching family, calling them by not stage names). The balance is found between the public persona of the artist and “civilian” life in private. Creating a person for the stage increases engagement but also allows for the artist to take risks musically and artistically without repercussions in their personal life.