The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess
The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | September 22, 2023 | |||
Recorded | 2018–2023 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 49:08 | |||
Label |
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Producer |
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Chappell Roan chronology | ||||
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Singles from The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess | ||||
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The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess is the debut studio album by American singer and songwriter Chappell Roan, released on September 22, 2023, through Amusement Records, an imprint of Island Records owned by the album's producer, Dan Nigro. Primarily a pop record, Midwest Princess also contains elements of synth-pop, pop rock, new wave, folk-pop, rock, dance-pop, country, and disco.
Written and produced alongside Nigro beginning in 2018, Midwest Princess is noted for its "campy" pop sound and influence from LGBT performance art such as drag shows. The album is inspired by Roan's experience leaving her hometown in Missouri for Los Angeles to pursue a career as a singer. During her journey of self-discovery, Roan navigated love, heartbreak, and embraced her sexual identity – themes that would become central to the record. After being dropped by her label, Roan continued her career as an independent artist, releasing songs that would form the foundation of Midwest Princess.[1]
Midwest Princess was met with widespread acclaim and praised by music critics for its bold, innovative, and emotionally charged nature. Reviews also complimented the album's engaging blend of sharp songwriting, dynamic pop elements, and Roan's vocal performance. Several publications ranked it on multiple year-end best albums lists for 2023.
Although not an immediate commercial success, Midwest Princess garnered a cult following in the months after its release and became regarded as a "sleeper hit" by early 2024. The album's commercial breakthrough was largely influenced by Roan's supporting act on Olivia Rodrigo's Guts World Tour, her performances at music festivals like Coachella and Governors Ball, and the success of her follow-up single, "Good Luck, Babe!". By June 2024, Midwest Princess had climbed the charts, peaking at number one in Ireland, New Zealand and the UK, plus within the top five of the US Billboard 200. Subsequently, several of its singles ("My Kink Is Karma", "Femininomenon", "Casual", "Pink Pony Club", "Red Wine Supernova", and "Hot to Go!") entered the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time since their release.[2]
Roan promoted the album by headlining the Midwest Princess Tour in 2023 and 2024, along with appearances on NPR Music's Tiny Desk Concerts series, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Background and recording
[edit]Roan was signed to Atlantic Records and living in Los Angeles by 2017, when she released the EP School Nights, a "folk-leaning" project she later admitted she "hated". In 2018, Roan started working with Dan Nigro, eventually releasing the album's first single, "Pink Pony Club", in April 2020 after Atlantic Records had said "no" to the song "for a year". Roan ultimately was dropped by Atlantic later in 2020. In addition to breaking up with her boyfriend of over four years and the COVID-19 pandemic, Roan moved back to her home state of Missouri. She worked jobs to save money to move back to Los Angeles, at which point she resumed working with Nigro, and signed to his Island Records imprint Amusement.[3] Roan said that The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess allowed her to "come to accept [her] queerness".[4]
Critical reception
[edit]Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
DIY | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Line of Best Fit | 9/10[7] |
NME | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Paste | 8.4/10[9] |
Pitchfork | 7.2/10[10] |
The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess received critical acclaim upon release.[11][12] Olivia Horn of Pitchfork called the album "a bold and uproarious introduction, buoyed by sturdy songcraft and steely indifference to good taste", also writing that Roan is "blessed with a powerful and versatile voice".[10] Otis Robinson of DIY summarized it as "thoughtful, a little unhinged and entirely contradictory, merging the alt-pop seriousness of Lana Del Rey with the untethered preppy charm of Lorde to go full throttle into messy, emotional fun".[6]
NME's Hannah Mylrea dubbed it a "bratty, wacky record of huge pop bangers" as well as an "album that combines Roan's electrifying pop stylings with her funny, irresistible songwriting".[8] Sam Franzini of The Line of Best Fit opined that Roan "is a blazing tour-de-force on her debut album. She tackles every corner of human sexuality, psychology, desire, and lust, all on some of the hookiest choruses of this year".[7] Robert Moran of The Sydney Morning Herald described it as "pop at its most fun and life-affirming".[13]
Accolades
[edit]The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess was included in several best-albums-of-2023 year-end lists, being ranked in those by The A.V. Club (2nd),[14] TIME (4th),[15] Nylon (8th),[16] Dork (11th),[17] Rolling Stone (12th),[18] Billboard (13th),[19] The Skinny (19th),[20] Uproxx (1 of 74 unranked albums),[21] Alternative Press (1 of 50 unranked albums),[22] and Vogue (1 of 27 unranked albums).[23] It was also listed as one of Pitchfork's 22 Best Pop Albums of 2023[24] and was named Pop Buzz's Number One Album of 2023.[25]
Track listing
[edit]No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Femininomenon" | 3:39 | ||
2. | "Red Wine Supernova" |
| 3:12 | |
3. | "After Midnight" |
| Nigro | 3:24 |
4. | "Coffee" |
| Nigro | 3:25 |
5. | "Casual" |
|
| 3:52 |
6. | "Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl" |
|
| 3:03 |
7. | "Hot to Go!" |
| Nigro | 3:04 |
8. | "My Kink Is Karma" |
| Nigro | 3:42 |
9. | "Picture You" |
| Nigro | 3:07 |
10. | "Kaleidoscope" | Amstutz | Nigro | 3:42 |
11. | "Pink Pony Club" |
| Nigro | 4:18 |
12. | "Naked in Manhattan" |
| Nigro | 3:31 |
13. | "California" |
| Nigro | 3:18 |
14. | "Guilty Pleasure" |
| Nigro | 3:44 |
Total length: | 49:08 |
Note
- ^[a] signifies an additional producer
Personnel
[edit]Musicians
- Kayleigh Amstutz – lead vocals (all tracks), background vocals (tracks 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 14)
- Dan Nigro – background vocals (1–7, 9, 14), bass guitar (1, 2, 4, 5, 10, 12), guitar (1–3, 6, 8, 9), programming (1), drum programming (2, 7, 9, 14), acoustic guitar (4, 9, 14), piano (4, 10), keyboards (6, 13), drums (9, 14), Mellotron (10)
- Emily Williams – background vocals (1)
- Mike Wise – programming (1), keyboards (6)
- Paul Cartwright – strings (1); viola, violin (9, 10, 13)
- Cara Salimando – background vocals (2)
- Giana Shabestari – background vocals (2)
- Sterling Laws – drums (3, 6, 7, 13)
- Jared Solomon – bass guitar (3)
- Sam Stewart – guitar (4, 7, 11)
- Ryan Linvill – flute (4), bass guitar (8), drum programming (9, 12), saxophone (9), programming (11), horn arrangement (13)
- Arianna Powell – acoustic guitar (4)
- Kate Brady – background vocals (11)
- Benjamin Romans – piano (11)
- Danny Ward – French horn (13)
- Erick Serna – guitar (13)
- Ido Meshulam – trombone (13)
- Austin Drake – trumpet (13)
- Julian Dessler – trumpet (13)
Technical
- Randy Merrill – mastering
- Mitch McCarthy – mixing (1, 4, 7, 11–13)
- Serban Ghenea – mixing (2, 3, 6, 8)
- Michael Coleman – mixing (5)
- Nathan Phillips – mixing (9)
- Tom Elmhirst – mixing (10)
- Geoff Swan – mixing (14)
- Daniel Nigro – engineering
- Mike Wise – engineering (1)
- Noah Conrad – engineering (2)
- Chris Kasych – engineering (4)
- Ryan Linvill – engineering (5, 9)
- Jonah Shy – engineering (6)
- Bryce Bordone – mix engineering (3, 8), mixing assistance (2, 6)
- Austen Healey – engineering assistance (2, 3, 7, 9, 10, 14)
Charts
[edit]Chart (2024) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (ARIA)[26] | 4 |
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[27] | 33 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[28] | 11 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[29] | 106 |
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[30] | 3 |
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[31] | 39 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[32] | 8 |
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[33] | 19 |
French Albums (SNEP)[34] | 127 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[35] | 41 |
Icelandic Albums (Tónlistinn)[36] | 13 |
Irish Albums (OCC)[37] | 1 |
Lithuanian Albums (AGATA)[38] | 29 |
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[39] | 1 |
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[40] | 20 |
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[41] | 22 |
Scottish Albums (OCC)[42] | 1 |
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[43] | 50 |
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[44] | 30 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[45] | 22 |
UK Albums (OCC)[46] | 1 |
US Billboard 200[47] | 2 |
Certifications
[edit]Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
New Zealand (RMNZ)[48] | Gold | 7,500‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[49] | Gold | 100,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
References
[edit]- ^ Daw, Stephen (December 20, 2022). "Chappell Roan's Big Year: How the DIY Indie-Pop Star 'Casual'-ly Thrived in Her Post-Label Era". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 15, 2023. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
- ^ McIntyre, Hugh. "Chappell Roan's Incredible Hot 100 Sweep". Forbes. Archived from the original on August 5, 2024. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
- ^ Shafer, Ellise (September 22, 2023). "Confessions of a 'Midwest Princess': How Chappell Roan's Debut Album Arose From the 'Deep Pits of Hell' to Become a 'Dream Come True'". Variety. Archived from the original on December 28, 2023. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
- ^ Mier, Tomás (September 21, 2023). "How Chappell Roan Found 'Complete Freedom and Euphoria' Making Her Debut Album". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on December 28, 2023. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
- ^ Yeung, Neil (September 22, 2023). "Chappell Roan – The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess review". AllMusic. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
- ^ a b Robinson, Otis (September 22, 2023). "Chappell Roan – The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess review". DIY. Archived from the original on November 16, 2023. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
- ^ a b Franzini, Sam (September 21, 2023). "Chappell Roan: The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess – big pop smashes lead the way | Pop". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
- ^ a b Mylrea, Hannah (September 22, 2023). "Chappell Roan – The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess review: unabashedly fun anthems". NME. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
- ^ Bennett, Eric (December 28, 2023). "Chappell Roan: No Album Left Behind: Chappell Roan Introduces Her Brazen, Theatrical Self on The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess". Paste. Archived from the original on June 2, 2024. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
- ^ a b Horn, Olivia (September 27, 2023). "Chappell Roan: The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess Album Review". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on January 1, 2024. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
- ^ "Chappell Roan Release New Single 'Good Luck, Babe!". Universal Music Canada. 2024. Archived from the original on July 18, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess–earning her praise, critical acclaim
- ^ Mendez II, Moises (June 14, 2024). "How Chappell Roan Skyrocketed to Pop Stardom". Time. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
she released The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess with Amusement Records ... to widespread acclaim
- ^ Moran, Robert (September 22, 2023). "Dropped by her label, she's now made the funnest (and queerest) pop album of the year". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on December 5, 2023. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
- ^ "The 27 best albums of 2023". The A.V. Club. December 13, 2023. Archived from the original on December 14, 2023. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
- ^ "The 10 Best Albums of 2023". Time. December 5, 2023. Archived from the original on December 26, 2023. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
- ^ "NYLON's Top Albums Of 2023". Nylon. December 20, 2023. Archived from the original on December 28, 2023. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
- ^ Dork (December 18, 2023). "Dork's Top 50 Albums of 2023: 50-41". Dork. Archived from the original on December 27, 2023. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
- ^ "The 100 Best Albums of 2023". Rolling Stone. November 30, 2023. Archived from the original on November 30, 2023. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
- ^ Glicksman, Josh (December 6, 2023). "The 50 Best Albums of 2023: Staff List". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 6, 2023. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
- ^ "The Skinny's Albums of 2023". Theskinny.co.uk. Archived from the original on March 4, 2024. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
- ^ "These Are The Best Albums Of 2023". Uproxx.com. December 4, 2023. Archived from the original on December 27, 2023. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
- ^ Schade, Anna Zanes, Neville, Alessandra (December 12, 2023). "50 best albums of 2023". Alternative Press Magazine. Archived from the original on October 19, 2023. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "The Best Albums of 2023". Vogue. October 23, 2023. Archived from the original on December 29, 2023. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
- ^ "The Best Pop Music of 2023". Pitchfork. December 12, 2023. Archived from the original on December 26, 2023. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
- ^ "The best albums of 2023". Popbuzz.com. Archived from the original on December 15, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
- ^ "Australiancharts.com – Chappell Roan – The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Chappell Roan – The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Chappell Roan – The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Chappell Roan – The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
- ^ "Chappell Roan Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
- ^ "Album Top-40 Uge 33, 2024". Hitlisten. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Chappell Roan – The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
- ^ "Chappell Roan: The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
- ^ "Top Albums (Week 34, 2024)". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Chappell Roan – The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
- ^ "Tónlistinn – Plötur – Vika 34 – 2024" [The Music – Albums – Week 34 – 2024] (in Icelandic). Plötutíðindi. Archived from the original on August 24, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
- ^ "Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
- ^ "2024 34-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. August 23, 2024. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
- ^ "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. August 19, 2024. Archived from the original on August 16, 2024. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
- ^ "Album 2024 uke 34". VG-lista. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
- ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – Chappell Roan – The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
- ^ "100 Albums weekly". PROMUSICAE. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
- ^ "Veckolista Album, vecka 33". Sverigetopplistan. Archived from the original on August 16, 2024. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
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- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
- ^ "Chappell Roan Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
- ^ "New Zealand album certifications – Chappell Roan – The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
- ^ "British album certifications – Chappell Roan – The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved August 9, 2024.