{"id":148733,"date":"2025-08-15T20:37:16","date_gmt":"2025-08-15T20:37:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/148733\/"},"modified":"2025-08-15T20:37:16","modified_gmt":"2025-08-15T20:37:16","slug":"new-chappell-roan-book-dissects-how-she-loves-drag-culture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/148733\/","title":{"rendered":"New Chappell Roan Book Dissects How She Loves Drag Culture"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chappell Roan is about to hit cities on a pop-up tour<\/a>, but before she graces a stage near you, it’s time to talk about a key component of her super-stardom: the art of drag. In an excerpt from a new Chappell Roan book out October 7, Chappell Roan: The Rise of a Midwest Princess<\/a>, writer J\u2019na Jefferson dissects the ways in which drag has influenced Chappell’s stage persona. <\/p>\n

But first! Here is more about the book:<\/p>\n

Chappell Roan broke through as a superstar, thanks to a genuinely new blend of powerhouse vocals, queer pride and drag queen style. Her appeal is clear: the songs are bouncy anthems that are unabashedly joyful, and her campy looks are a perfect mix of burlesque star and beauty queen.. This stunning gift book immerses you in Chappell\u2019s world, examining her rise to fame, how she established herself so seemingly quickly, and how she is challenging expectations while honoring gay women\u2019s impact on pop culture.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

To pre-order the book, click on the retailer or your choice:<\/p>\n

AMAZON<\/a> BARNES & NOBLE<\/a> BOOKS-A-MILLION<\/a> BOOKSHOP<\/a> HUDSON BOOKSELLERS<\/a> POWELL’S<\/a> <\/p>\n

“Work It Girl” by J\u2019na Jefferson in Chappell Roan: The Rise of a Midwest Princess<\/p>\n

Drag as an art form goes way back\u2014dating to the dawn of theater in Ancient Greece. However, the growing visibility of drag over recent decades\u2014in film, on screen, and on stage\u2014has given today\u2019s queer artists, including Doechii<\/a> and Troye Sivan<\/a>, more freedom to weave its influence into their music. Chappell Roan<\/a>, who describes herself as a \u201csinger\/songwriter\/performer\/drag queen,\u201d occupies a unique space as both a wildly successful pop star and a purveyor of drag\u2019s spirit. Her music, aesthetic, and outspoken nature are deeply drag-infused, as she uses her platform to entertain, inspire, and amplify marginalized voices. Her elevation of this once-underground culture into mainstream pop is also reshaping the queer direction of 21st-century pop music. <\/p>\n

Chappell Roan: The Rise of a Midwest Princess<\/p>\n

\"Chappell<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always noticed when someone is using drag as a prop versus drag as a castmate,\u201d Hanukah Lewinsky, a drag performer in New York City, explains of Chappell\u2019s appreciation for the drag community, which has been proudly reciprocated. \u201cThere have been artists [in the past] who have had drag queens on stage, and [the queens] haven\u2019t been paid, they don\u2019t get tagged, they don\u2019t get any recognition.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cWhen Chappell has drag queens with her,\u201d Lewinsky adds, \u201cit\u2019s \u2018this is so-and-so, this is where you can find their art, this is where you can find what they do.\u2019 We\u2019re her co-stars.\u201d <\/p>\n

Lewinsky is among the performers who replaced Chappell at the 2024 All Things Go Music Festival<\/a> after Chappell pulled out of her set for health reasons. The last-minute set, dubbed \u201cQueens of the Dancefloor\u201d by festival coordinators, was curated by NYC-based drag star Beaujangless the night before the event, and included several drag performers, such as legendary queen Kevin Aviance, festive background dancers, and DJ B-Roc of The Knocks. <\/p>\n

\u201cDrag queens are used to getting something ready that\u2019s very exciting, very quickly,\u201d Lewinsky said. The queens stood in for the singer, lip-syncing and dancing to a slew of Chappell songs for about 45 minutes. \u201cThe crowd really loved it\u2014in that moment and online. The general consensus felt like we were able to add something exciting and new to that day,\u201d explains Lewinsky. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt was by far the coolest experience of my life thus far. Just that I got to do it to music that I love, for an artist that I love, with such close friends, it was 10\/10. I wouldn\u2019t change it for the world,\u201d Lewinsky says.<\/p>\n

THE IMPACT OF DRAG<\/p>\n

Though Chappell\u2019s music reflects her queerness and affinity for drag, drag\u2019s influence on the music industry is hardly new. In the 1930s, \u201cPansy\u201d performer Jean Malin recorded songs referencing queer identity; while in the ’50s, rock pioneer (and former drag queen) Little Richard\u2019s flamboyant stage persona paved the way for future LGBTQ+ performers. David Bowie\u2019s experimental sound, costumes, and theatrics were key in pivoting pop in a queer direction. Elton John\u2019s \u201clifelong love affair\u201d with drag and a friendship with Divine encouraged the Rocket Man\u2019s over-the-top costumes. In the 2010s, rapper Nicki Minaj embraced drag elements, notably with her alter ego \u201cRoman Zolanski,\u201d which toyed with gender norms. Chappell is continuing a tradition set in motion long before her reign. <\/p>\n

\u201cPop and rock specifically have always been informed by queer culture, and drag is also part of that conversation,\u201d explains Elyssa Maxx Goodman, the author of Glitter and Concrete: A Cultural History of Drag in New York City<\/a>. \u201c[Chappell\u2019s rise] has the possibility of continuing drag\u2019s presence in mainstream culture.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"the<\/p>\n

NBC\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

CHAPPELL’S USE OF DRAG<\/p>\n

Chappell\u2019s discography is a proclamation of her queer identity, using drag-inspired themes to amplify self-discovery, empowerment, and resistance. \u201cPink Pony Club\u201d celebrates queerness while exploring somberness, creating a drag-evoking emotional juxtaposition. \u201cFemininomenon\u201d flips the script, proudly embracing queer sexuality. She blends pop with elements of country, alt-rock, and folk (at times in the same song) mirroring how drag fuses high art with low culture. This art form has long challenged boundaries, not only of gender but also of music, bringing power to Chappell\u2019s work. <\/p>\n

Pop has used drag to create visual spectacles rooted in queer resistance and celebration. Through bold, avant-garde makeup and costumes\u2014like her signature white face paint, a nod to her hometown\u2019s homophobes who called queer kids \u201cclowns\u201d\u2014Chappell is helping normalize drag\u2019s aesthetics. \u201cThe people in my hometown would call gay people \u2018clowns.\u2019 That\u2019s why I actually wear white face [drag makeup], because of how those people called us clowns. I was like, \u2018Bitch I\u2019ll show you a clown,\u2019\u201d she said to an audience in Manchester. <\/p>\n

\"outside<\/p>\n

Steve Jennings\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Goodman notes that Chappell highlights femme drag, a style in which women or nonbinary people dress in drag, popularized by performers like Fauxnique and Crimson Kitty. Chappell\u2019s drag-heavy aesthetic in her music videos and live performances adds to her allure. In the \u201cMy Kink Is Karma\u201d video, she plays a lingerie-clad devil\/clown, a nod to the apparently queer character HIM from The Powerpuff Girls. She also frequently uses blue eyeshadow, a deliberate tribute to the sex workers and drag queens who have been unfairly demonized. As Chappell put it in Faces of Music, a documentary series sponsored by Sephora: \u201cBlue eyeshadow is so stigmatized\u2026and it\u2019s all connected to why I picked it.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cDrag and drag aesthetics have long been part of how pop musicians visually connect to their audiences,\u201d Goodman says, referencing Cher\u2019s Bob Mackie costumes, Madonna\u2019s Marie Antoinette\u2013inspired outfit at the 1990 MTV VMAs, and Lady Gaga\u2019s early career looks, including her 2011 drag king persona \u201cJo Calderone.\u201d <\/p>\n

Chappell\u2019s stage presence is bold and playful, drawing from drag\u2019s performative theatrics where every move tells a story. This allows her to explore both lighthearted and darker themes, reflecting drag\u2019s ability to blend cheek and earnestness. And she uses her live performances to advocate for LGBTQ+ rights and visibility. At the 2024 Governors Ball music festival<\/a>, Chappell called for \u201cfreedom for all oppressed people\u201d while dressed as the Statue of Liberty. A week later, at the Kentuckiana Pride celebration, she performed in full drag, paying tribute to legendary queen Divine and her iconic role in the 1972 film Pink Flamingos.<\/p>\n

STANDING UP FOR DRAG<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like any time [Chappell has] a big platform, she lets people know that drag is here to stay,\u201d New York City queen Mo\u2019Riah says about Chappell\u2019s commitment to drag. Like Lewinsky, Mo\u2019Riah was one of the performers asked to dance in Chappell\u2019s place at All Things Go, a moment she says made her \u201cfeel like Beyonc\u00e9,\u201d adding that Chappell \u201calways stands up for [drag queens.]\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201c[Chappell\u2019s] touchstone comes at a time where there\u2019s a very odd turn back to \u2018We don\u2019t want anything that\u2019s out of line,\u2019\u201d Lewinsky notes of the tepid climate Chappell is finding her success in, where queer and trans rights hang in the balance and are even under direct attack. \u201cIt would be so easy for someone to fit into what society deems appropriate, but it\u2019s nice to have someone who says, \u2018Fuck that, we\u2019re not going to tailor ourselves for what you deem is right or acceptable.\u2019 It\u2019s very energizing.\u201d <\/p>\n

\"celebrities<\/p>\n

Bruce Glikas\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Lewinsky, who uses she\/her pronouns while in drag, also performed during the New York stop of Chappell\u2019s Midwest Princess Tour. Chappell supported local drag acts by having them open for her during these shows, sharing the spotlight with performers who\u2019ve been an integral part of her artistic journey. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe first time I ever saw Chappell is when she came to one of my weekly gigs at Pieces,\u201d the popular West Village gay bar, Mo\u2019Riah adds. \u201cShe even stayed after and watched the other show after ours. It\u2019s clear she loves drag, and she loves the community and the art of it, I think that\u2019s beautiful.\u201d <\/p>\n

Unlike artists who may incorporate drag aesthetics without nourishing deeper ties to the community, Chappell\u2019s integration feels genuine. She\u2019s part of a wave of queer artists who aren\u2019t just referencing drag\u2014they\u2019re making it a core part of their artistic DNA. Her drag persona is theatrical, but it\u2019s also authentic. <\/p>\n

\u201c[Drag] just feels like freedom,\u201d Chappell says in Sephora\u2019s Faces of Music. \u201cIt lights up something in my brain, it\u2019s just pure serotonin.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 By J\u2019na Jefferson, Chappell Roan: The Rise of a Midwest Princess
<\/p>\n

Chappell Roan: The Rise of a Midwest Princess by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong, Dibs Baer, Patrick Crowley, Izzy Grinspan, J’na Jefferson, Ilana Kaplan, and Samantha Olson will be released by Hearst Home Books on October 7, 2025. To preorder the book, click on the retailer of your choice: <\/p>\n

AMAZON<\/a> BARNES & NOBLE<\/a> BOOKS-A-MILLION<\/a> BOOKSHOP<\/a> HUDSON BOOKSELLERS<\/a> POWELL’S<\/a> <\/p>\n

Disclosure: Hearst Magazines is the parent company of Hearst Home Books and Cosmopolitan.<\/p>\n

Related Story<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Chappell Roan is about to hit cities on a pop-up tour, but before she graces a stage near…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":148734,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[1022,3178,87619,1201,171,3181,2875,87618,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-148733","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-books","8":"tag-books","9":"tag-content-type-news","10":"tag-contentid-b8193844-e94a-4589-8a78-18fa2fa55b19","11":"tag-displaytype-standard-article","12":"tag-entertainment","13":"tag-hasproduct-true","14":"tag-locale-us","15":"tag-shorttitle-theres-a-cool-new-chappell-roan-book-out-soon","16":"tag-united-states","17":"tag-unitedstates","18":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115034708702798397","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148733","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=148733"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148733\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/148734"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=148733"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=148733"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=148733"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}