Misplaced Pages

After Midnight (Chappell Roan song)

Article snapshot taken from[REDACTED] with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
2023 song by Chappell Roan

"After Midnight"
Song by Chappell Roan
from the album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess
ReleasedSeptember 22, 2023 (2023-09-22)
StudioAmusement (Los Angeles)
Genre
Length3:24
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Nigro
Audio
"After Midnight" on YouTube

"After Midnight" is a song by the American singer and songwriter Chappell Roan from her debut studio album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess (2023). Island Records and Amusement Records released it as the album's third track on September 22, 2023. Roan wrote "After Midnight" with Casey Smith and the song's producer, Dan Nigro. It is a pop, disco, neo-disco, dance, and funk track, and the lyrics are about nightlife and Roan's experience with bisexuality.

Some music critics praised "After Midnight" as catchy and for its sexually provocative lyrics; others considered it unremarkable. Commercially, it reached number 22 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart in the United States, where it was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. Roan included the song in the set lists of her second concert tour, the Midwest Princess Tour (2023–2024), and Olivia Rodrigo's Guts World Tour in 2024. She performed it at several music festivals throughout 2024.

Background and release

Chappell Roan left her hometown in Willard, Missouri, and moved to Los Angeles in 2018 to pursue a career as a singer; she met the producer Dan Nigro there and they started collaborating by the end of 2020. In 2023, he launched his Island Records imprint, Amusement Records, and signed her as the first artist on the label. Nigro produced every track on Roan's debut studio album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess; it was inspired by her life in both the Western United States and the Midwestern United States. "After Midnight" is the third track on the album, which was released on September 22, 2023. In the United States, the song reached number 22 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart dated August 24, 2024. "After Midnight" received a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America on December 13, 2024.

Production and composition

Roan wrote "After Midnight" with Nigro and Casey Smith; the former two contributed background vocals. Nigro recorded the track at Amusement Studios in Los Angeles, assisted by Austen Healey. Serban Ghenea provided audio mixing, while Bryce Bordone worked as the mixing engineer. "After Midnight" was mastered by Randy Merrill at Sterling Sound Studios in Edgewater, New Jersey. Nigro additionally provided drum programming and played guitar, keyboards, percussion, and synthesizers. Musicians who played instruments include Sterling Laws (drums) and Jared Solomon (bass guitar).

"After Midnight" A sample of "After Midnight", a pop, disco, neo-disco, dance, and funk song that features Roan's whistle register.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

"After Midnight" is three minutes and twenty-four seconds long. Music journalists identified it as a sensual disco, neo-disco, dance, and funk song, where Roan sings in the whistle register. According to Dork's Steven Loftin, "After Midnight" has a mid-2000s pop sound. Roan was inspired to write the track after moving to Los Angeles at the age of eighteen and realizing that "everything good happens after midnight", which opposes her father's saying: "Nothing good happens after midnight". "After Midnight" explores themes of sexuality, desire, nightlife, bar fights, and "being a freak in the club".

The lyrics highlight Roan's experience with bisexuality; she sings in the refrain, "I'm feeling kinda freaky, maybe it's the club lights/ I kinda wanna kiss your girlfriend if you don't mind", before changing the lyric later in the song to "I'm feeling kinda freaky, maybe it's the moonlight/ I kinda wanna kiss your boyfriend if you don't mind". The first verse mentions her internalized shame regarding her sexuality during her adolescence ("My mama said, 'Nothing good happens/ When it's late and you're dancing alone'/ She's in my head saying, 'It's not attractive/ Wearing that dress and red lipstick'"). In the pre-chorus, she expresses her freedom and comfort with her sexuality, despite her family's thoughts on it ("This is what I wanted/ This is what I like/ I've been a good, good girl for a long time/ But baby, I like flirting/ A lover by my side/ Can't be a good, good girl even if I tried").

Critical reception

Music critics praised "After Midnight" for its memorable tune and sexually-charged lyrics. Adam Maidment of the Manchester Evening News described it as a "chant-worthy anthem", and Neil Z. Yeung from AllMusic praised the song as catchy for its funky production and heavy use of synthesizers. Eric Bennett of Paste considered it one of the tracks that emphasize Roan's brilliance while delivering sexually suggestive lyrics, and Elise Shafer of Variety similarly highlighted the sexually provocative lyrics. In a less enthusiastic review, Olivia Horn of Pitchfork considered "After Midnight" unremarkable, but appreciated Roan's whistle tones as "lovely". Hannah Dobrogosz from BuzzFeed dubbed it "flirty, fun, energetic, freaky, and cheeky", even though she did not personally connect with the song; she placed it last in her ranking of the album's fourteen tracks.

Live performances

Roan included "After Midnight" in the set list of her second headlining concert tour, the Midwest Princess Tour (2023–2024). She performed it as part of her set list for Olivia Rodrigo's Guts World Tour in 2024, where she served as an opening act. She additionally played the track at several music festivals throughout 2024, including Boston Calling, Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Osheaga, Outside Lands, and Austin City Limits.

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess.

Chart

Chart performance for "After Midnight"
Chart (2024) Peak
position
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard) 22

Certification

Certifications for "After Midnight"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) Gold 500,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ Grady, Constance (August 21, 2024). "Chappell Roan Spent 7 Years Becoming an Overnight Success". Vox. Archived from the original on July 20, 2024. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  2. Havens, Lyndsey (June 9, 2023). "Inside Daniel Nigro's New Imprint Amusement Records". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 3, 2024. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  3. ^ Shafer, Elise (September 22, 2023). "Confessions of a Midwest Princess: How Chappell Roan's Debut Album Arose From the 'Deep Pits of Hell' to Become a 'Dream Come True'". Variety. Archived from the original on December 28, 2023. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  4. Lipshutz, Jason (June 27, 2024). "The Rise (and Rise) of a Midwest Princess: 5 Numbers That Capture Chappell Roan's Current Explosion". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 28, 2024. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  5. ^ Roan, Chappell (2023). The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess (CD liner notes). Island Records, Amusement Records. 602458321340.
  6. ^ "Chappell Roan Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  7. ^ "American single certifications – Chappell Roan – After Midnight". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  8. Roan, Chappell (September 22, 2023). "The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess by Chappell Roan". Apple Music (US). Archived from the original on November 21, 2024. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  9. ^ Franzini, Sam (September 21, 2023). "Chappell Roan Confronts Modern Issues with Huge Pop Smashes on The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  10. ^ Bennett, Eric (December 28, 2023). "Chappell Roan: No Album Left Behind: Chappell Roan Introduces Her Brazen, Theatrical Self on The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess". Paste. Archived from the original on June 2, 2024. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  11. Daw, Stephen (September 22, 2023). "Queer Jams of the Week: New Music from Troye Sivan, 070 Shake, Chappell Roan & More". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 2, 2023. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  12. ^ Willman, Chris (February 24, 2024). "Olivia Rodrigo Is the Actual Rock Star We've Needed in a Galvanizing 'Guts Tour' Opening: Concert Review". Variety. Archived from the original on February 25, 2024. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  13. ^ Kepner, Lily (October 6, 2024). "'Welcome to ACL'! Chappell Roan Draws in Massive Crowd to Zilker Park: Live Updates". Austin American-Statesman. Archived from the original on October 7, 2024. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  14. ^ Yeung, Neil Z. (September 22, 2023). "The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess by Chappell Roan". AllMusic. Archived from the original on August 20, 2024. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  15. ^ Horn, Olivia (September 27, 2023). "Chappell Roan: The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess Review". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on January 1, 2024. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  16. Loftin, Steven (September 22, 2023). "Chappell Roan - The Rise And Fall of a Midwest Princess". Dork. Archived from the original on September 2, 2024. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
  17. Prance, Sam (January 16, 2024). "Chappell Roan Breaks Down Every Song on The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess | Making the Album". Capital. Archived from the original on January 6, 2025. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  18. Δημητροπουλος, Θοδωρης (July 20, 2024). "Ποια Ειναι Η Chappell Roan Και Πως Εκτιναχθηκε Στην Κορυφη Της Ποπ Σε Ενα Καλοκαιρι;" [Who Is Chappell Roan and How Did She Rise to the Top of Pop In One Summer?]. News 24/7 [el] (in Greek). Archived from the original on December 6, 2024. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
  19. Forman, Bee (September 28, 2023). "Chappell Roan Is 'Hot to Go' in Her Debut Album". The Wesleyan Argus. Archived from the original on March 5, 2024. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
  20. Beaster, Jillian; Herzing-Burkard, Livia (June 8, 2024). "The Rise of the Musician Chappell Roan". Shorewood Ripples. Archived from the original on July 20, 2024. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
  21. Maidment, Adam (September 14, 2024). "Review: Chappell Roan at Manchester Academy Delivers Bold and Unapologetic Performance in Sold Out Show". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  22. Dobrogosz, Hannah (June 26, 2024). "Chappell Roan's The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess Album Has Literally No Skips, But I Attempted to Rank the Songs Anyway". BuzzFeed. Archived from the original on January 8, 2025. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  23. Harrydass-Clark, Shaunelle (July 2, 2024). "Chappell Roan Is Taking the World by Storm, but Who Is She?". Glamour UK. Archived from the original on July 18, 2024. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  24. Brooks, Lian (September 20, 2024). "Chappell Roan's London Brixton Setlist, Support Act, Themes, Timings and More". Glamour UK. Archived from the original on September 20, 2024. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  25. Slane, Kevin; Jonas, Annie; DaPonte, Kristina; Alterisio, Heather (May 27, 2024). "Boston Calling 2024: Live Updates from the Festival". Boston.com. Archived from the original on November 1, 2024. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  26. Gibbs, Audrey; Latham, Angele (June 16, 2024). "Nurse-Clad Chappell Roan Heals Huge Bonnaroo Crowd with Her Pop Anthems. See the Show's Top Moments, Setlist". The Tennessean. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  27. Hopkins, Earl (August 1, 2024). "5 Best Moments From Chappell Roan's Jam-Packed Set at Lollapalooza 2024". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 2, 2024. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  28. Decter, Rosie Long (August 5, 2024). "Chappell Roan Was the Clear Star of Osheaga 2024 — Despite Playing in the Afternoon". Billboard Canada. Archived from the original on August 9, 2024. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  29. Kurp, Josh (August 12, 2024). "Chappell Roan Calls Out the VIPs at Her Outside Lands Set for Being 'Too Cool' to Have Fun". Uproxx. Archived from the original on October 7, 2024. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
Categories:
After Midnight (Chappell Roan song) Add topic