Ear Candy: Chappell Roan's The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess

    Believe it or not I listened to Chappell Roan's debut offering, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, on the day it dropped because I saw in a Reddit thread a couple of days prior that people were recommending her music. I don't remember the first song of hers I listened to, but I remember liking it. So I patiently waited for the album to drop. And I listened to the album for a few days and liked it. But when I first listened to it I was like "hey! This is really good. Too bad it's not blowing up."

    Well. Look where we are now. Her steady rise in popularity is just a chef's kiss. Then "Good Luck, Babe" happened. And now here we are. Amazing songs from just an amazing artist. I also listened to "Good Luck, Babe" when it first came out, and I swear I did a review for it. Not sure where it's at or why I didn't publish it. It's coming because I've been singing that one a lot lately.

    Anyways! Back to the task at hand. We're talking about Midwest Princess today. The upbeat tracks are where it's at on this album. The ballads aren't bad at all, but the upbeat jams are so good that they eclipse the ballads. 

    I think the spotlight of this album is on Roan herself. Her personality and unique visions as seen through the lyrics are what make the album and give it a distinctive voice. Then there's her vocals. Va va voom! The vocals! Her voice is crystal clear and beautiful. She has such control over it, and does amazing things with such precision and control. Roan's sky-high runs and vocal tics are just gorgeous. 

    Roan really crafted her persona and brought it to life through the lyrics here. I'm highlighting "Feminomenon" and "Red Wine Supernova" as case studies on that. Especially the lyrics in the bridge before the final chorus on "Red Wine Supernova." A little too adult to quote on this family-oriented blog *wink* but when I heard them, I busted out laughing at how clever they are!

    So what's going on sonically here? Let's talk about that for those that may have not heard the record yet. And the answer to that question is... A lot! And thank goodness. I feel like most artist these days feel like they have to make and conform a record to a uniform formula. The same sound from top to bottom just tweaked track by track strictly for critical acclaim. Which is fine. Sometimes this works super well, and the acclaim is justified. But... For those of us that just want bops and good songs from top to bottom, that can be a little frustrating. 

    The broadness of Midwest Princess is part of its appeal, and also a reason why it's been so well-received. So there's synth-pop here (HOT TO GO!), folk-pop (Red Wine Supernova) [the guitar on the song, right?], dance-pop (Femininomenon), and even disco (After Midnight). Just a lot going on, and you love every minute of it. And it's beautiful, raw, vulnerable, and forward thinking. *Motions to "Casual" and "Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl."*

    I am so excited to see where Roan goes from her. Her musicality is a breath of fresh air. I don't think anyone has been more excited for a pop star since Lady Gaga. 

Rank: A Rank

Recommendation: when you're feeling hot like Papa John

Standouts:

    Every single upbeat song is a homerun. Seriously. It's nuts.