Chappell Roan: The Midwest Princess

Chappell Roan is everywhere right now. She opened for pop star Olivia Rodrigo on her sold-out world tour, performed on Saturday Night Live, played a set at Coachella—one of America’s biggest music festivals—and headlined her own tour, suitably titled The Midwest Princess Tour. For every performance, she teases her curly hair, dons a dramatic eye look and steps out in a truly unpredictable outfit. But between the shimmer and stage makeup is someone who is genuinely her own. Chappell Roan is a stage name—her real name is Kayleigh Rose Amstutz. “Chappell” honors her late grandfather, Dennis K. Chappell, and “Roan” comes from his favorite old Western song, “Strawberry Roan.” Thus far, Roan has stayed within the synth-pop genre, and much of her music is inspired by 1980s pop and artists like Kate Bush, Stevie Nicks and Karen Carpenter. Her sound is uniquely her own, though, with major hits like “Pink Pony Club,” “HOT TO GO!” and “Good Luck, Babe!” She has an energetic aura, and her music reflects that with an often upbeat, moody and fun vibe. Oh, and did I mention she’s from right here in the Ozarks—Willard, to be exact?

Chappell Roan shot the music video for her hit song “HOT TO GO!” in Springfield, showcasing iconic local spots like the Gillioz Theatre, Andy’s Frozen Custard, Route 66, the Giant Fork, Ozark Empire Fairgrounds, Alamo Drafthouse and Getaway Golf. The video features Roan performing her signature H-O-T-T-O-G-O dance at these locations, with a special cameo from her grandparents learning the dance. In November, Roan was seen filming again at Andy’s East Sunshine location. That same day, she made a generous donation of $27,484 to The GLO Center, a Springfield nonprofit supporting the Ozarks’ LGBTQIA+ community.

In 2023, Roan released her debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, which won her Best New Artist at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards and six 2025 Grammy Award nominations. She was up for Best Pop Solo Performance, Record of the Year, Song of the Year—all for “Good Luck, Babe!”—Best Pop Vocal Album, Best New Artist and the biggest award of the evening, Album of the Year. After an on-stage performance of “Pink Pony Club,” she took home her first Grammy Award, winning Best New Artist.

The Ozarks were just the beginning for Roan, and we couldn’t be more excited to watch what she will do next.