Chappell Roan may have taken home the trophy for Best New Artist at this month’s GRAMMY Awards, but it sort of feels like she’s always been famous. Her delightfully campy aesthetic, drag queen-influenced stage getups, and irresistible pop hooks seem tailor-made for pop stardom. However, the “Pink Pony Club” singer’s success isn’t the brainchild of a bunch of suits in a corner office. Roan, 27, worked tirelessly for it, writing songs between shifts at a drive-through coffee shop in her Missouri hometown. And while this Cranberries cover illustrates the strides she’s made, it also perfectly showcases the global icon she was always meant to be.
Videos by American Songwriter
Watch This “Simply Pure” Performance From a Young Chappell Roan
A recently resurfaced TikTok clip shows a (comparatively) bare-faced Chappell Roan onstage, clapping her hands together as the opening notes of the Cranberries’ “Dreams” float through the air.
The audience takes up her mantle as Roan (born Kayleigh Rose Amstutz) begins to sing: Oh, my life is changing everyday / In every possible way / And oh, my dreams / It’s never quite as it seems /Never quite as it seems.
Amid all the glitter and bold dance moves, it’s possible to forget that Chappell Roan is a supremely gifted vocalist. This video is here to remind you. She positively nails Dolores O’Riordan’s distinctive lilt. (Tragically, O’Riordan died at age 46 the same year of Roan’s performance.)
[RELATED: 3 Eternal Songs From the Irish Band The Cranberries That Will Play Forever]
“What took so long for her to blow up?” one fan commented on TikTok. “My goodness. Her voice is simply pure.”
This Song Sees Streaming Surge After GRAMMYs Performance
The 67th annual GRAMMY Awards were a memorable night for Chappell Roan for several reasons. The “Good Luck Babe!” singer won Best New Artist, using her acceptance speech to call on record labels to provide a livable wage and healthcare for their artists. She also earned a standing ovation for her performance of “Pink Pony Club,” complete with a real pink pony onstage.
The 2020 tune has scaled the charts since the Feb. 2 ceremony, landing at No. 9 on this week’s Billboard Hot 100 listing. Just two weeks ago, “Pink Pony Club” sat at No. 45.
According to Luminate, the song also doubled its on-demand streams in the week after Roan’s GRAMMYs performance.
Featured image by Richard Isaac/Shutterstock
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