Chappell Roan: The Grammy-winning pop supernova

Camp queen, queer icon, a searing yet irreverent songwriter with cascading vocals: Chappell Roan has soared to pop's upper echelons on a singular blend of vulnerability and high-production performance that has earned her legions of fans.

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And now the Missouri musician with a waterfall of red curls is a top Grammy winner, having snapped up the prestigious prize for Best New Artist.

Her over-the-top theater kid persona, complete with wildly lavish costumes and high-drama makeup that nods to drag culture, made her an unstoppable force on the festival circuit.

And since then, the 26-year-old has since been truly inescapable—on TikTok, the radio, streaming, late-night shows and, eventually, a viral media cycle over her lukewarm support of presidential candidate Kamala Harris that proved, in case anyone doubted it, just how big she'd gotten.

In an industry thirsty for "moments," it seemed like Roan was a rare bird who appeared out of nowhere.

But she'd actually been hustling for a decade—making music while working odd jobs, handling mental health struggles and coming into her own.

Midwest Princess Born Kayleigh Rose Amstutz on Feb. 19, 1998 in Willard, Missouri, Roan threw herself into the arts while never quite finding her social footing, and grappling with weighty emotions she would eventually learn were symptoms of bipolar disorder.