The Rise (and Rise) of a Midwest Princess: 5 Numbers That Capture The Current Explosion by Chappell Roan

Anyone who pays even the slightest attention to modern pop understands that Chappell Roan has spent the last few months becoming a unique, undeniable star.

The Missouri singer-songwriter's 2023 debut album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, has gradually grown its audience through a combination of word-of-mouth support and a large platform. Meanwhile, new single “Good Luck, Babe!” has built on the album's momentum and become a legitimate crossover hit. At the center of these success stories is an uncompromising new voice in mainstream pop, whose sonic diversity, thematic focus on queer identities, penchant for viral trends, and spectacular vocal power have coalesced into true stardom.

Finding anecdotal evidence of Chappell's rise is easy enough, but digging into her recent metrics yields a stunning case study in the new school's success. Here are five numbers that show just how huge Chappell Roan has become in 2024.

68.36 million

As of early 2024, Chappell's full catalog was under 3 million weekly streams, three months after the September 2023 release Midwest Princess: in the chart week ending Jan. 4, 2024, for example, it earned 2.51 million on-demand streams in the US, according to Luminate. As her profile has expanded — thanks in part to opportunities like opening for Olivia Rodrigo's Guts World tour from late February to early April and appearing at major festivals like Governors Ball and Bonnaroo earlier this month — the overall weekly streaming soared.

Now, Chappell's weekly streams are more than 20 times what they were at the beginning of the year, as her catalog earned 68.36 million streams the week ending June 20. Helping boost that weekly streaming total is “Good Luck, Babe!”, which was released in early April. Now her highest-charting Billboard Hot 100 hit, the single has been a driving force behind Chappell's overall catalog numbers, as well as a gateway for unsuspecting listeners to further explore her music.

423,000

After its release on September 22, 2023, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess did not chart on the Billboard 200: Chappell's debut album earned 7,000 equivalent album units in its original box, according to Luminate, and debuted at No. 3 on the Heatseekers Albums chart. Rather surprisingly, Midwest Princess it didn't crack the Billboard 200 until more than six months later, debuting at No. 127 on the April 6-dated chart — right at the tail end of Chappell's Rodrigo tour — with just over 9,000 equivalent album units.

This was just the beginning though: Midwest Princess broke five-figure equivalent albums the following week on the chart and never looked back for the next three months. In the week ending June 20, the album earned 46,000 equivalent album units — more than five times what it earned each week in early April. And after debuting outside the Billboard 200 overall, Midwest Princess has won 423,000 equivalent album units to June 20 — beyond the highest expectations when it debuted, and with much more room to grow.

55,000

Although the equivalent album units overall for Chappell's debut album factors into tracks and streaming units, the full album is also purchased by fans who want to have the full experience. Earlier this month, Midwest Princess reached the top 10 of the Top album Sales chart for the first time, thanks in part to the replenishment of CD and vinyl copies in retail stores (the album sits at No. 14 on the current chart).

After debuting with 3,000 sales on its release last September, Midwest Princess has multiplied launch sales by 18, for a current total 55,000 copies were soldaccording to Luminate.

19

While Chappell's music scores tens of millions of plays on streaming platforms every week, “Good Luck, Babe!” makes simultaneous forays into multiple radio formats. The single reaches a new peak No. 19 on this week's Pop Airplay chart (dated June 29) in its seventh week on the chart, as well as a new peak of No. 30 on Adult Pop Airplay.

Meanwhile, “Baby!” debuts on the all-genre Radio Songs chart this week at No. 49. If radio PDs continue to embrace “Babe!” In the coming weeks, Chappell will begin to reach a different, powerful audience — and potentially set herself up for even more radio hits in the future.

4

Speaking of which, the performance of “Babe!” in multiple radio accounts scratches the surface of Chappell's ever-growing presence on the Billboard charts. Midwest Princess spends its first frame in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 this week, climbing three spots to No. 8 in its 13th overall week on the chart — a breathtaking feat considering the album didn't even crack the chart when it debuted once released. Meanwhile, “Baby!” has spent 11 weeks on the Hot 100 and continues to push higher: this week, the single becomes Chappell's first Top 20 hit, climbing five places to No. 16.

Perhaps the most impressive stat chart for Chappell right now, however, is that she has four simultaneous Hot 100 hits, with “Red Wine Supernova” (No. 54), “Hot To Go!” (No. 55) and “Pink Pony Club” (No. 90) all together in “Babe!” on the chart. The multi-song chart takeover confirms that Chappell's rise can't be attributed to one hit, and that as her profile continues to rise, listeners will continue to seek out her full catalog.