Review of Chappell Roan's 'The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess' Album

Can you imagine, a freaking ad from Instagram introduced me to this artist. Probably, I would have lived my life without noticing if it weren't for this ad. What caught me was her raw vocals. I immediately jumped, because you know how stressful it is when you lose the reel you just watched, and it could never be found under the pile. So, I found the song and the singer, and I started exploring. Song by song, it became clear that this artist is something fresh and new. Although she looks and sounds like a mix of Cyndi Lauper and Shania Twain, Kayleigh Rose Amstutz is able to hold her own by creating this persona, Chappell Roan. I cannot sing, but I have a great ear for musicians, and for me to admit that she sounds better in her live vocals rather than her studio recorded ones means that this artist has incredible talent. I am always suspicious about how live the vocals are, but from what I've heard, she is able to play with her voice, creating emotions that could only be described as raw and transcending. Even though her vocals bring maturity for her age, sometimes the beat of the songs and the sounds may seem childish. Nevertheless, the artist sounds like a promise of an even greater future. I hope she doesn't join the 27 club because Amstutz just turned 26, and by her own words, she feels ready for the success that she has been pursuing for the past 10 years. I hope also that she can stand the test of time and mature into her own. I can see her growing, delivering what we wanted from Amy Winehouse and what Gaga became. 

The new Pop diva has a couple of albums, and I decided that I'll check 'The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess'. After a scare fight with my ex the other day, and thinking of splitting our vinyl collection, I decided that I will review albums even if I don't have them in it, of course, as long as they are worth reviewing in the first place. This one, because of her raw talent, is worth reviewing. It's strange that the first song I heard from that Instagram ad, that I fell in love with immediately and made me research the artist, is not on the album, but nevertheless, 'The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess' has a lot to offer. I cannot wait for this artist to mature into her own and catch me up on a wave of feelings and experiences, but for now, let's go through her last project. No doubt that the absolute favorite song here is 'Casual'. Are you familiar with this feeling when you stumble upon an artist and the songs she or he has are absolutely relevant to the situation you are going through? After casually dating an Egyptian guy for the past month, carefully observing that this is going nowhere, I was able to process what is going on through albums like 'The Tortured Poets Department' and 'Radical Optimism', as well as Chappel's songs 'Good Luck, Babe!' and 'Casual'. I should really thank those artists for saving me from another heartbreak right before it happened and giving me the strength to cut it off right before it consumed me. We've all been there, right? This is the power artists have. I hate this sign 'Your music saved my life', but to be honest, I have artists like Gaga that absolutely did that from the beginning of her career. Can Chappell deliver the same? The first album is yet to be heard, but going through her second project, I found myself vibing to most of the songs here. With some exceptions pointed directly at a different audience, leaving me behind, I was able to feel the beat and her incredible vocals and the feelings contained inside the lyrics. This album is a grower, which means that it will stick, regardless of how I feel about the songs here, the album lacks maturity. The ballads are superficial, without real depth. Don't get me wrong, I am very impressed by the artist and I cannot wait exploring the future with her.

Iliya Badev