Chappell Roan’s Reason for Wearing White Makeup All the Time Is as Iconic as She Is

Since she burst onto the music scene with her 2023 breakout album, Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, singer Chappell Roan has taken any opportunity she can to show that she's that girl. From her opulent live performances and music videos to her unfiltered red carpet clapbacks, there's no denying that Chappell is on the verge of a lengthy career of gagging the girls (in a good way).

The singer's catchy sounds and love for the LGBTQ+ community are reasons her fans champion her. Chappell's fans are also obsessed with her costume flair, including her big, red hair and even more dramatic, bright, white matte makeup.

Those who have seen the artist proudly wear makeup several shades too light have wondered why she chooses to wear it onstage and beyond. Here's what Chappell has said about why the ghostly look is her fave.

Chappell's fans have wondered why she wears white makeup. The look is something the "Pink Pony Club" singer debuted around 2024 and shared that in September, she started wearing it to support fellow LGBTQ+ people who grew up in a small town. During a Sept. 13 show, Chappell explained to her audience that her clown-like look directly reflected what people in her hometown, Willard, Mo., called people within her community. For those unaware, the artist identifies as a lesbian.

"People in my hometown call gay people clowns," Chappell explained. "That’s why I actually wear my white face… Like b---h, I’ll show you a clown.”

Chappell shared her experience with the "clown" statement in Hulu’s Faces of Music series in January 2025. In the series, she recalled boys in her high school would make fun of her and other LGBTQ+ students for how they dressed and expressed themselves. Chappell said she took the comments as a sign to embrace her queerness further and flaunt her "extraness" to a global audience, which has certainly paid off.

"I started doing white makeup because if you’re going to call me a clown, I’m going to be the best clown you’ve ever seen," she said on the series, per Gay Times. "It’s going to be undeniable that I’m gay, and there’s nothing wrong with that. And you know what? No one calls me a clown anymore.”⁠

Chappell's expression through her clothes and makeup has helped her ascend from an underground artist to a global pop sensation. After being signed to her first label as a teenager, she was dropped from her deal during the Covid-19 pandemic. According to Biography, Chappell moved back home with her parents after the deal fell through, causing her to pivot and change her sound and look. She reemerged onto the music scene with her 2020 song, “Pink Pony Club,” which went viral on TikTok.

Chappell continued seeing musical success in May 2022 when she debuted two songs, “Naked in Manhattan” and “My Kink is Karma," within a few months. She also headlined her tour, Naked, in North America in 2023.

As her star further shines, Chappell brings her massive wigs and outlandish makeup to whatever stage she's on. And she does so by staying true to herself, like a true queen!