I listened to Chappell Roan’s debut record on the same day as the Arcitc Monkeys’ AM, and the two records could not be more different. Almost exactly a decade (plus two weeks) separates the two album, and they emerged out of different genre traditions. While the Arctic Monkeys existed in the indie rock world and made it mainstream, Chappell Roan is pure, unadulturated pop.

Chappell Roan’s album might be best described as “girl pop” or even “lesbian pop.” Perhaps the most comparable act to Roan is Lady Gaga, who dominated much of the 2010s. Both musicians speak to a queer audience, and they released dance-y bopping rhythms. Yet, Roan leans into camp far more than Lady Gaga ever did.

Like Lady Gaga, Roan’s music is uninhibited in its sexuality. Whether in the initial track, “Femininomenon,” hits like “Red Wine Supernova” or “Hot to Go!” or songs that attracted less attention like “Naked in Manhattan,” Roan glamorizes sexuality, perhaps to a point of fault. Even so, she also shares moments of vulnerability, as in “Coffee” and “Casual.”

Although the album is very bubblegum-y, Roan also has a fairly wide range. She has some acoustic, piano sounds, and one song even relies on synths that would be well-suited for music on Daft Punk’s Discovery.

It’s not quite clear to me why Chappell Roan has become so much more popular than other pop stars; I think that it may have something to do with her ability to perform and her full embrace of camp. Even though I didn’t listen to Roan as a performer, I do think her music is good, and–if nothing else–it is interesting. She isn’t breaking new ground here, but it is catchy and upbeat.