Chappell Roan is on a clear trajectory to be a queer icon.
After a recent tour for her debut album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, Roan recently hit the stage at Scotiabank Arena to open for pop princess Olivia Rodrigo during the Toronto stops of her GUTS world tour.
Donning a purple cowboy hat fringed with beads, an equally sparkly leotard, and a pair of silver cowboy boots, Roan looked every bit the pop darling as she strutted the stage singing some of her most popular songs during the Mar. 29 show.
The Midwest singer has a way of connecting with audiences who are going through various uncomfortable milestones and rites of passage with her energetic songs and meaningful lyrics. This includes, but definitely is not limited to, queer audiences, who finally see our own lived experiences discussed and reflected in the lyrics of catchy pop songs.
Have you ever felt at odds with your family? Maybe you often feel like your loved ones do not understand your path. Roan’s “Pink Pony Club” may be the song for you.
Are you currently experiencing your first crush? Or falling in love for the first time? Roan’s song “Red Wine Supernova” transports you back to the butterflies in your stomach and the blush spreading across your cheeks that is synonymous with these experiences.
Taking to centre stage during her set, the opener led the growing crowd through the dance routine for her hit song “HOT TO GO!” before beginning a track that had the audience laughing and singing along as they formed letters with their arms and body rolled along with the singer.
And while these songs will have you up and dancing, she also has a knack for pulling at heartstrings with slower, more melodic songs.
Such as her song “Casual,” which speaks to the experience of being in love with someone who is not honest with you, themselves, or their friends, and had people in the audience – this writer included – shedding a tear or two as we swayed to the song with our flashlights in the air.
After seeing her perform at the Toronto Opera House as part of her The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess tour this past October, it’s all the more impressive to see her command a stage as large as that of Scotiabank Arena, with thousands of people dancing and singing along.
Roan is the perfect opener for an artist like Olivia Rodrigo, a former Disney star whose popular songs speak to the very real and relatable experiences of falling in love, getting your heart broken, and growing up. The girl power kept going when Rodrigo took to centre stage, kicking off her set with her hit “bad idea right,” as her fans screamed with excitement.
Rodrigo’s performance left fans screaming their hearts out to songs like “drivers license,” and “traitor,” reminiscing on their first heartbreaks in an atmosphere that almost felt like a massive slumber party, with laughter, tears, dancing, and reflecting.
In my opinion, there is nothing better than a night of singing and dancing to songs steeped in girl power and good vibes, and Olivia Rodrigo and Chappell Roan graced Toronto with just that.
