Chappell Roan brings Queeren Glamor to Zurich

It gets colorful in front of and in the Hallenstadion-Chappell Roan plays her first Swiss show as part of her “Visions of Damsel and other Dangerous Things” tour. The vertical starter of the past year went viral on Tikkok and sang into the spotlight for the icon of the queer movement.

On August 19, the American with Swiss roots transformed the vastness of the concert temple into a shrill-colorful party hut. Fans can look forward to Chappell roans theatrical, glamorous and queer-affirming stage staging. The 27-year-old creates urban drag fantasies that have their origin in their conservative childhood.

Chappell Roan was born and raised in the Conservative-Christian small town Willard, in the US state of Missouri. With her art she has created a glittering opposite world, her stage persona is deliberately staged as a drag project: theatrical, glamorous, excessive-a mixture of 80s years of glamor and cabaret aesthetics. With opulent costumes, wigs and make-up, she plays with exaggerated ideas of femininity and transforms her appearances into queer fantasy people who not only represent liberation for themselves, but also for their audience.

This contrast between strict parents’ house and church -shaped childhood on the one hand and a life full of colors, irony and empowerment on the other is a central part of their artistic identity and is celebrated by their community.

She also processes these breaks in her music. Songs such as “Pink Pony Club”, inspired by a visit to a Gay Club in West Hollywood, or “Femininomenon” are queer hymns that celebrate the desire, self -discovery and departure of heteronormative expectations. For the first time, she addresses lesbian love with “Kaleidoscope”, while her world hit “Good Luck, Babe!” is already considered a queer pop classic. Her concerts are more than shows: Roan deliberately creates safe spaces, works with local drag performers and sets a sign against the social setbacks compared to queer communities.

In addition to her queer activism, Chappell Roan also speaks very openly about mental health. At 22 she received the diagnosis of a bipolar disorder. It always addresses the challenges associated with depression, fears and the pressure of the sudden fame. Instead of hiding these topics, the artist integrates her into her public story – but as part of her authenticity, not as a flaw. Her openness makes her an identification figure, especially for young fans who can be found in their songs and their handling of vulnerability.

For all of these reasons, Chappell Roan is now considered a queer pop icon of the generation Z: The American singer is a symbol of queer empowerment, for the courage, origin and imposed norms, and for the strength to create spaces of freedom and visibility with music and art.

Chappell Roan’s bourgeois name is Kayleigh Rose Amstutz. Her great -grandfather was Swiss. Already at the age of ten she started playing the piano, performed publicly at the age of 13 and has been sitting on the big stages of the world on shows such as “America’s Got Talent”. For example, her last year’s appearance at the Lollapalooza Festival in Chicago became legendary: Although she was not a headliner, her gig attended more fans last August when Taylor Swift had recorded the “Eras” tour at her most visited concert.