Chappell Roan’s seemingly cataclysmic ascent to pop stardom has been so rapid that when she cancelled two legs of her sold-out European tour in favour of the VMAs last month, it felt sadly inevitable. In reality, she’s struggled to be understood by an antiquated music industry since her debut single in 2017, so deciding her optics are more important than her new fanbase is disappointing for some.
Berlin didn’t suffer such a fate, however, and while moving her only German show from the modest Columbiahalle to the Velodrom seemed like a shrewd move initially, the nearby Uber Arena may beg to differ. With tickets selling out in a matter of minutes, Roan could have packed out the city’s biggest venue thrice over with ease, not that anyone is complaining. They’re here for a wild celebration of queerness and inclusivity, and in front of her biggest audience yet, tonight she is sensational.
Bounding onto the stage amidst a cacophony of piercing screams and guttural shrieks, Roan kicks off proceedings with Femininomenon, its powerful balladry morphing into a pop-house behemoth with a single swish of her flaming red locks. Still playing catch-up from her astronomical rise, the DIY visuals and simplicity of the staging only amplify her commanding stage presence, powering through Naked in Manhattan and Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl with the swagger of a seasoned pro. Her vocals shine on downtempo numbers Picture You, Kaleidoscope, and the gorgeous California, and the whole place erupts in mass singalongs of HOT TO GO! and Red Wine Supernova.
“I don’t wanna call it off,” Roan ironically claims on her brilliant breakthrough single, Good Luck, Babe!, but while she has some groveling to do in Paris and Amsterdam, no one gives a damn about her recent “scheduling problems” here. Having escaped a religious upbringing herself, she attracts a young, female, and queer audience clinging on to an artist speaking their language. For those in attendance, she can do no wrong, but she gets it oh so right anyway, exploring sexuality and drag culture with camp theatrics and enough high kicks to give you whiplash.
To witness the meteoric rise of a Midwest pop princess in real time is an intoxicating experience, and as Roan rocks out with her band to closing track Pink Pony Club, the collective euphoria is palpable. A transformative, dreamy banger that marked the beginning of a fresh chapter for Roan, it’s a fitting end to an epic celebration of self-discovery, led by a 26-year-old Missourian on the cusp of megastardom.
