Chappell Roan was undoubtedly one of the biggest artists of 2024, her star rising so fast that a Chartmetric graph of her Spotify monthly listeners went viral for its impressive spike shown across one single summer. Her Grammy nominations and win only sought to confirm what fans already knew — ‘The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess’ was a singularly special album.
Chappell Roan, for those who may have spent the last year hibernating, is a multi-talented independent artist hailing from Missouri. Born Kayleigh Rose Amstutz, “Chappell” is a persona she actively worked to cultivate. The name itself comes from a sentimental place, “Chappell” being her grandfather’s last name and “Roan” coming from the title of his favorite song, “The Strawberry Roan.”
However, her look is largely inspired by drag queens, a badge she wears with pride as a member of the LGBTQ+ community herself. Many of her wardrobe and lyrical references come from queer cinema, too, creating a natural throughline between the person and the persona. Here are three campy classics Chappell has referenced that make for a seamless movie night.
‘Mulholland Drive’ Is a David Lynch Classic
Mulholland Drive is David Lynch’s 2001 stylized surrealist mystery about a Midwestern woman named Betty who comes to Los Angeles with the hopes of becoming an actress. She settles in her aunt’s home until an amnesiac woman named Rita turns up at the front door, having just survived a car crash. The two form a detective duo, trying to piece together clues about who Rita is.
Seemingly unrelated plotlines unfold, such as a mobster story in which Director Adam Kesher is threatened into casting unknown actress Camilla Rhodes and a strange trip the girls take to see a performance at Club Silencio. The scene Chappell references in her song “Naked in Manhattan” refers to the romance between Betty and Rita. Betty asks Rita, “Have you ever done this before?” to which Rita replies, “I don’t know. Have you?”
“Oh I’ve never done it, let’s make it cinematic.
Like the one sex scene that’s in Mulholland Drive, I wanna know baby, what is it like?”
— Chappell Roan, Naked in Manhattan
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Mulholland Drive is definitely a movie worth watching twice, as the ending recontextualizes everything that came before it. There’s also a fascinating piece of trivia related to the film, which is that Rita’s Laura Harring was en route to her audition and got into a car accident, just like her character. The story goes that Lynch had contacted her, wanting to meet her right away, and so Harring was distracted/frazzled while driving. Her attitude about the incident was impressive, with her seeing it as “synchronistic” and “a great induction to the David Lynch world.” Mulholland Drive is available to rent on Prime Video and Apple TV.
‘Mean Girls’ Is a Timeless Comedy Hit
From the very same song, “Naked in Manhattan,” Chappell references the comedy classic Mean Girls. This choice might seem a little out of left field for a pre-Mean Girls musical reboot world that Chappell was inhabiting when the song was released. However, in the original film, there was still the storyline about Regina being threatened by Janis’ “big lesbian crush” on her.
“Mean Girls, we watch it every night
And we both have a crush on Regina George.”
— Chappell Roan, Naked in Manhattan
Queer fans dating back to ’04 read between the lines of Regina’s bullying. They saw her preoccupation with Janis, her desperation to distance herself from Janis, and saw themselves (or their closeted queer bully) in her. Regina George has been a gay icon from the very beginning; the 2024 adaptation simply made the subtextual, textual.
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Not to mention, the 2024 version cast the best possible Regina George in Reneé Rapp. She’s a fellow lesbian musician; she played Regina in the Broadway version of Mean Girls, and lastly, in writer/producer Tina Fey’s words, “Reneé can really own a close-up. Her face is so stunning, and also she’s so intimidating when she needs to be. I think she’s built for the screen. She just is so powerful.” Mean Girls is streaming on Paramount+, and Mean Girls (2024) is streaming on Paramount+, Prime Video, and MGM+.
‘Pink Flamingos’ Developed a Cult Following
Finally, true to fashion, Chappell paid homage to drag queen Divine at the Kentuckiana Pride Foundation Festival last June. Donning a red sequined gown over a leopard print bodysuit, these outfit choices were instantly recognizable to fans of the legendary cult figure. In addition, she and her band wore makeup mimicking Divine’s signature style, with high-arched, thin penciled brows, lined lips, blue eyeshadow, generously blushed cheeks, and plenty of eyeliner.
Divine is perhaps best known for her starring role in John Waters’ taboo satire sensation, Pink Flamingos. In Pink Flamingos, sleaze queen Divine is coasting in her caravan with her 250-pound mother, Mama Edie, and her eccentric son, Crackers. As a family, they’ve been dubbed “the filthiest people alive”… that is until they are confronted by challengers. With a legendary gross-out ending, it’s safe to say the film is still considered shocking today. And, with a campy sensibility throughout, it’s no wonder Chappell found inspiration in this fringe feature. You can purchase Pink Flamingos from Criterion.
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