If we are to see the genre of modern pop for the overpacked, over-eyelashed colosseum that it is, then Chappell Roan has managed to somersault herself straight into the Imperial Box. While many expressed initial confusion at the artist’s breakneck takeover, the release of her debut album last September satiated many sceptics with its electric slumber-party feel. Treat your weary summer ears to one spoonful of The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess and you will probably find yourself just as engrossed in the direction of her impeccably manicured thumb as the rest of us.

With her unrivalled ability to marry punchy vocals with the undressed autobiographical, few voices have managed to cut through grit and glitter in as equal measure as Roan. Therefore, as appears to be the case with most things for the Missouri-born songwriter, it comes as no real surprise that her maiden album rollercoasters through its emotional itinerary a little differently to most. Ferrying its listeners through the shining flamboyance of choruses like ‘Femininomenon’ and ‘HOT TO GO! ’, only to hurtle them into the melancholic nostalgia trip of ‘Coffee’ and ‘Kaleidoscope’, the 14-track collection certainly challenges audiences to define its overall temperature. And this is very much the beauty of Chappell Roan’s music: in the span of a few frustratingly catchy chords, she manages to encapsulate the very mismatched and oftentimes messy (see: Charli XCX’s ‘Brat’) reality that is being a young person in the midst of unrealised identity. Thus, it makes perfect sense that the singer’s album has resonated with no demographic more significantly than its queer one.

“Few voices have managed to cut through grit and glitter in as equal measure as Roan”

Consider the circumstances under which you arrived in Cambridge. For some, the memory may be a little battered with time; for others, it may be just about to arrive. However, with the loftiness of its history and the unique precariousness of its academic environment, almost all experiences of this university have been unified by one central paradox: it is a place of both immense opportunity and immense pressure. Being a student here — fresh-faced and on the hinge of adult life — can often be as daunting as it is exciting, even without the added complexity of navigating one’s queer identity. And quite the complexity it can be, indeed.

Chappell Roan’s music, with its whipped-up blend of exuberance and introspection, mirrors this duality. Her rise from small-town obscurity to pop prominence parallels the experience of many queer students at Cambridge, who — often far from home for the first time — must carve out their own minute space from all the Ancaster stone. In this regard, Roan’s songs extend far beyond typical consumerist pop trends: they are a roadmap for this journey, capturing the highs of freedom and community, as well as the inevitable lows of self-doubt and societal pressures. Through her music, many in Cambridge’s queer scene have been able to recover a voice for their own experiences, providing a soundtrack to newfound existence in such a storied place.

The recent variability of Cambridge’s LGBT+ clubbing culture attests to this ongoing struggle to maintain safe, inclusive spaces. However, whilst the 'Rise and Fall' of nights such as ‘Queer Get Down’ and ‘RAID’ may fluctuate, there is something eternal in how ‘HOT TO GO! ’ speaks to the high-energy defiance found in these margins, a celebration of identity and community; how ‘Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl’ casually totes the shedding of feigned heterosexuality for neon-lit experimentation; how ‘Kaleidoscope’ addresses the feelings of isolation and uncertainty that can arise after the music fades and the night ends.

Just as these earlier, energetic numbers speak to one part of the queer experience, so too do the softer minutes of Roan’s discography. Whilst they may be offset by thrill and eyeliner at times, these moments — whether experienced in the solitude of one’s college room or during a reflective walk back across the Cam — are also an integral part of the Cambridge experience, where the pressure to succeed can sometimes intrude upon the joys of self-discovery. Perhaps this changeability between the jubilant and contemplative is what makes Roan such a distinctive performer in general; such a distinctive comfort for those who partake in similar performances everyday.

“Just as these earlier, energetic numbers speak to one part of the queer experience, so too do the softer minutes of Roan’s discography”

In this, Chappell Roan’s music not only reaches out to the individual but also serves as a unifying force, offering a shared experience through which community bonds are strengthened. Her songs, with their bold celebration and candid self-expression, encourage listeners to embrace their identities with both hands. Tracks like ‘Casual’ do not simply celebrate queerness; they revel in it. The album’s sense of defiance converts being young and queer into something beyond an additional complexity: it punctuates how the experience can be beautiful, vital, devastating, and wonderfully glamorous, all at once.

To put this shortly, Roan has crafted anthems that not only entertain but also inspire. Her music is a reminder that in the midst of academic pressure, social challenges, and the search for identity, there is power in togetherness, solidarity, and self-acceptance. It is something that the Cambridge LGBT+ community very much deserves to hold safe and dear.

Her album means far more than strutting around your room in platform boots. Sometimes, for instance, it means strutting around your room in platform boots whilst crying with hope for queer existence.