“Pink Pony Club”: Finally, the Queer, Midwest Rebel, Burlesque Pop Anthem That We’ve Been Asking For

Sounds niche. However, by embracing her outsider status and shoving it through a ring pop kaleidoscope, the drag-inspired Chappell Roan has struck a chord with her audience and is having a bit of a moment. Although the song was released in 2020, “Pink Pony Club” is a standout on Roan’s 2023 album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, which has already become the subject of sing-alongs at gay bars around the country. Beginning with a dreamy piano riff as if the start of fable, the semi-autobiographical song tells the story of young girl who runs away from her small town to become a star at the fabled Pink Pony Club, a strip club in West Hollywood, Los Angeles. Roan’s inspiration for the song is a visit to one of the most famous gay bars in LA, The Abbey, and after partnering with Grammy-winning producer Daniel Nigro (Olivia Rodrigo’s Sour), she created the naughtily jaunty burlesque banger that we all deserve. While the character’s story may not apply to all of us, the feeling of treading a path different from parental expectations is instantly relatable to many. Roan’s voice is dreamy and old-timey, reminding me of a red velvet booth and low-lit lamps adorned with beaded tassels; but simultaneously electrifying and rebellious. In the chorus, she speaks through the voice of her character’s own mother, crying out “Oh God, what have you done? You’re a pink pony girl.” But Roan confidently belts back that “…On the stage in my heels. It’s where I belong…” and the queer community couldn’t agree more.