The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess
Chappell Roan

Love to see this as a recent addition. I remember this making the rounds back in 2023 and not even being interested in listening (mostly because of the cover - very gaudy, glamorous in a way that doesn't appeal to me and isn't supposed to). She also looks sort of old and evil in this shot - why does she look younger now? Anyway, Chappell started blowing up in 2024, and when I got around to listening, I realized it was a great album. She's got a strong, emotive voice and some good songwriting. Hearing it again this time, I liked it even more, and was frankly more impressed with the production. This is some fantastic pop music, with strong musical senses. "Femininomenon" is such a big highlight for me, the structure and progression of that song, and the drowning guitar. Hell yeah. "Pink Pony Club" is another big one, that and "California" are very confessional, emotional songs about her separation from her roots in favor of a different world. This album is absolutely worth the hype, and frankly it's one of the best pop albums of this decade so far. As of right now, 2025, I'd still rank the Weeknd's After Hours as my favorite in that category, but she's not terribly far off with this one. 4.5/5

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