is dominating the music industry right now.

While it may seem like the 26-year-old – whose songs are constantly topping the charts – was an overnight sensation, her career was actually a decade in the making and included many twists and turns that almost made her give up.

Becoming Chappell Roan (2014-2016)

Roan — whose real name is Kayleigh Rose — hails from a small town in Missouri. The singer-songwriter started posting song covers on YouTube when she was a teenager. In 2014, her original song “Die Young,” which she wrote while attending a summer camp, caught the eye of different record labels, and in 2015, Roan signed with Atlantic Records at 17 years old.

In 2023, Roan appeared on the podcast and reflected on her singing career with the music label. “I was signed to them for five years in a horrible, horrible record deal, but I didn’t know any better because I was a little kid,” she revealed.

In 2016, the singer-songwriter stopped releasing music under her real name, opting for the stage name she is known by today — . The name honored her grandfather, who passed away that year. His name was Dennis K Chappell, and his favorite song was “The Strawberry Roan” by Marty Robbins.

Success and Setbacks (2017-2021)

2017 was a big year for Roan as she released her EP under Atlantic Records titled School Nights. Roan also became the opening act for Vance Joy’s Lay It On Me Tour. In 2018, the pop sensation began working with music producer Dan Nigro, the beginning of what became a lasting collaboration. She also hit the road again that year, opening for British singer Declan McKenna.

Things took a turn for the worse in 2020. In April 2020, amid the Covid-19 pandemic, Roan released “Pink Pony Club,” a synth-pop song produced by Nigro. Roan put out a few other singles that year, but Atlantic Records ultimately dropped her.

“To be honest, the label didn’t even want to put [Pink Pony Club] out, so it was already a very tense relationship. I got dropped because I just wasn’t making money for them,” Roan recalled on the Q with Tom Power podcast.

After running out of money, the Missouri native moved home and worked at a local drive-thru. However, she moved back to Los Angeles in October 2020 and told herself she would give her music career one more year, and if it didn’t work, she would move home.

Full Superstardom (2022-2024)

Roan landed a publishing deal with Sony in 2022 and began working with Nigro again. As an independent artist, she released “Naked in Manhattan” among other singles. She served as the opener for Olivia Rodrigo’s Sour Tour and Fletcher’s Girl of My Dreams tour. Roan also signed with Island Records that year.

From February through March 2023, Roan embarked on her first headliner tour, Naked in North America, which featured epic costumes, glittery makeup, and local drag queens who performed as the opening act. Then, in September 2023, Roan dropped The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, her debut full-length album, and embarked on her second headlining tour, The Midwest Princess Tour.

When speaking about the album’s critical claim in an interview with in January 2024, Roan said, “I’m surprised by, like, all of the publications loving it so much and the critical acclaim, but I was like the girls are gonna love this, this is fun, it’s such a world in itself, and I worked so hard on it.”

Roan’s success truly as she released her hit queer anthem, “Good Luck, Babe!” and performed at Coachella in April 2024.

Now Roan is nominated for a slew of Grammy’s for the upcoming 67th Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist, Album of the Year, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year, and there is no telling where her success will take her next.