Honestly, it feels like you can’t walk into a grocery store or scroll through TikTok for more than thirty seconds without hearing those soaring, 80s-inspired synths. That voice—flipping effortlessly into a glass-shattering falsetto—has become the definitive sound of the year. If you've been wondering who sings Good Luck Babe, the name you’re looking for is Chappell Roan.
But here's the thing: she didn't just appear out of thin air. While the world spent 2024 and 2025 catching up to her, Chappell Roan (born Kayleigh Rose Amstutz) has been grinding in the music industry for a literal decade.
The Woman Behind the Persona
Before she was the "Midwest Princess" wearing Statue of Liberty drag or Marie Antoinette-inspired gowns on stage, she was just a teenager from Willard, Missouri. Kayleigh Rose grew up in a trailer park, attended church three times a week, and spent her summers at Christian youth camps. It’s that exact conservative, "small-town girl" background that makes her current success so fascinating.
She took the name Chappell Roan as a tribute to her grandfather, Dennis Chappell, and his favorite song, "The Strawberry Roan." It’s a stage name, sure, but she often describes it as a drag persona. It's the version of her that is louder, braver, and a whole lot more "camp" than the girl who used to upload covers to YouTube in her bedroom.
Why "Good Luck, Babe!" Blew Up
It’s rare for a song to be both a massive pop hit and a deeply specific cultural critique, but "Good Luck, Babe!" manages it. Released in April 2024, the track wasn't even on her debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. In fact, it was almost left on the cutting room floor.
📖 Related: Wrong Address: Why This Nigerian Drama Is Still Sparking Conversations
Producer Dan Nigro—the same guy who helped Olivia Rodrigo craft SOUR—has admitted that they struggled with the song for a long time. They actually started it back in 2022 under the working title "Good Luck, Jane!" They couldn't get the key right. They couldn't get the vibe right. It was, in Chappell's own words, "a bitch to write."
Eventually, they brought in Justin Tranter, a legendary pop songwriter, to help crack the code. The result was a "sleeper hit" that eventually climbed to the top 5 of the Billboard Hot 100 and surpassed one billion streams on Spotify by late 2024.
What is the song actually about?
If you listen to the lyrics, it's not just a standard "I miss you" breakup song. It’s a searing take on compulsory heterosexuality. Chappell is singing to a woman who is dating a man to fit in, even though she has real feelings for Chappell.
The bridge is where most people lose their minds. When she sings, "When you wake up next to him in the middle of the night... you're nothing more than his wife," she’s calling out the tragedy of living a lie. It's biting, it's theatrical, and it’s incredibly relatable to anyone who has ever felt like they were someone's "secret" or a "phase."
👉 See also: Who was the voice of Yoda? The real story behind the Jedi Master
The "Overnight" Success That Took 10 Years
People love to call her an industry plant because her rise felt so sudden. It wasn't.
- 2015: She signs to Atlantic Records at age 17.
- 2017: Releases an EP called School Nights. It’s dark, moody, and... doesn't really go anywhere.
- 2020: She releases "Pink Pony Club." It’s a masterpiece. The label drops her anyway.
- 2021: She moves back to Missouri, works at a drive-through, and saves up money to move back to LA and try again as an independent artist.
- 2023: Her debut album finally drops.
- 2024: She opens for Olivia Rodrigo's GUTS tour and has a legendary Coachella performance.
By the time the 2025 Grammy Awards rolled around, she wasn't just a newcomer; she was a juggernaut. She took home Best New Artist and proved that being dropped by a major label isn't the end of the world. Sometimes, it’s just the beginning of finding out who you actually are.
A New Kind of Pop Star
What makes Chappell Roan different from the Sabrinas and the Olivias of the world is her commitment to the visuals. She’s heavily influenced by drag culture. Every show has a theme—"Pink Pony Club," "Midwest Princess," "Slumber Party"—and she encourages fans to dress up in glitter, tassels, and thrift-store finds.
She’s also been incredibly vocal about the "dark side" of fame. In 2024, she made headlines for setting firm boundaries with fans, asking them to stop following her or being "creepy" in public. It was a polarizing move, but it solidified her as an artist who isn't willing to trade her mental health for a paycheck.
✨ Don't miss: Not the Nine O'Clock News: Why the Satirical Giant Still Matters
How to Get the Full Chappell Experience
If "Good Luck, Babe!" was your entry point, you’re missing out on the deeper lore. To really understand why she’s the biggest thing in music right now, you have to look past the singles.
- Watch the Tiny Desk Concert: She performed with "cigarettes" in her hair and enough face paint to make a clown blush. It’s the best way to see her raw vocal talent.
- Listen to "Pink Pony Club": This is the heart of her discography. It’s about the freedom of the queer dance floor.
- Check out "HOT TO GO!": If you want to see a crowd of 80,000 people doing a synchronized cheerleading dance, this is the one.
At the end of the day, Chappell Roan succeeded because she stopped trying to be the "brooding songstress" the labels wanted and started being the campy, loud, "tacky" pop star she actually is. And honestly? Good luck to anyone trying to top that.
If you're looking to dive deeper into her discography, start with the The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess album from start to finish. It’s designed to be a theatrical journey, and the production by Dan Nigro is world-class. You can also follow her official socials for her upcoming tour dates, as she's known for creating "themes" for every city, giving you a chance to join the DIY costume culture that has defined her fanbase.