"Pink Pony Club" is a song by American singer-songwriter Chappell Roan. It was released on April 3, 2020 and later became the first single off of Roan's debut album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess. The track was initially released through Atlantic Records and was later re-released through Amusement Records and Island Records.
Background[]
Roan began working with songwriter and producer Daniel Nigro in early 2020.[1] "Pink Pony Club" was the pair's first release, which she has described as a "hard left turn" from School Nights.[2] Roan cited a visit to The Abbey, a gay bar in West Hollywood, as the inspiration for the song.[3][4] She said that the song expressed her desire to become a go-go dancer in Los Angeles, stating, "truthfully, I'm not confident enough to do that, so I wrote a song about it."[5]
Critical Reception[]
USA Today ranked "Pink Pony Club" third on a list of the "10 best songs of 2020"; an accompanying description characterized it as dance-pop that "earnestly [celebrates] queer culture, acceptance and chasing your dreams."[6] A year after its release, Vulture described the track as "the Song of Summer 2021," calling it a "synthy infectious bangarang."[7] By August 2022, the song had been streamed more than 10 million times on Spotify.[5]
Composition[]
Musically, "Pink Pony Club" is a Dance-Pop track with Alt-Pop influences. It's composed in the key of F# Major and has a tempo of 107 beats per minute.
Photoshoot[]
A photoshoot by Lissy Elle was conducted for the song.
Audio[]
Music Video[]
| |
| Video | Chappell Roan - Pink Pony Club (Official Music Video) |
| Premiere | Unknown |
| Length | 4:40 |
| Director | Griffin Stoddard |
| Producer | Danny Pollack |
The music video for "Pink Pony Club" was released to Chappell's official YouTube channel was released on April 3, 2020. In the video, Roan gets up on stage at a bar and begins performing. While no one pays attention to her at first, she begins drawing in the crowd before being joined by drag queens and dancers.
Behind the Scenes[]
Chappell Roan - Pink Pony Club (Behind The Scenes)
A behind the scenes video was released on April 16, 2020.
Commercial Release[]
- Pink Pony Club - Single
 |
Label(s): Atlantic Records[8] KRA International Inc. Format(s): Digital Released: April 3, 2020 Photography: Lissy Elle Design: Unknown |
|---|
| # | Name | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Pink Pony Club" | 4:18 |
Live Performances[]
On March 1, 2024, Roan performed the song live on MTV Push after being named their artist of the month.[9]
Lyrics[]
[Verse 1]
I know you wanted me to stay
But I can't ignore the crazy visions of me in L.A.
And I heard that there's a special place
Where boys and girls can all be queens every single day
[Refrain]
I'm having wicked dreams of leaving Tennessee
Hear Santa Monica, I swear it's calling me
Won't make my mama proud, it's gonna cause a scene
She sees her baby girl, I know she's gonna scream
[Pre-Chorus]
"God, what have you done?
You're a pink pony girl, and you dance at the club," oh mama
I'm just having fun
On the stage in my heels, it's where I belong, down at the
[Chorus]
Pink Pony Club, I'm gonna keep on dancing at the
Pink Pony Club, I'm gonna keep on dancing down in
West Hollywood, I'm gonna keep on dancing at the
Pink Pony Club, Pink Pony Club
[Verse 2]
I'm up and jaws are on the floor
Lovers in the bathroom and a line outside the door
Black lights and a mirrored disco ball
Every night's another reason why I left it all
[Refrain]
I thank my wicked dreams, a year from Tennessee
Oh, Santa Monica, you've been too good to me
Won't make my mama proud, it's gonna cause a scene
She sees her baby girl, I know she's gonna scream
[Pre-Chorus]
"God, what have you done?
You're a pink pony girl, and you dance at the club," oh mama
I'm just having fun
On the stage in my heels, it's where I belong, down at the
[Chorus]
Pink Pony Club, I'm gonna keep on dancing at the
Pink Pony Club, I'm gonna keep on dancing down in
West Hollywood, I'm gonna keep on dancing at the
Pink Pony Club, Pink Pony Club
[Guitar Solo]
[Bridge]
Don't think I've left you all behind
Still love you and Tennessee, you're always on my mind
And mama, every Saturday
I can hear your Southern drawl a thousand miles away, saying
[Pre-Chorus]
"God, what have you done?
You're a pink pony girl, and you dance at the club," oh mama
I'm just having fun
On the stage in my heels, it's where I belong, down at the
[Chorus]
Pink Pony Club, I'm gonna keep on dancing at the
Pink Pony Club, I'm gonna keep on dancing down in
West Hollywood, I'm gonna keep on dancing at the
Pink Pony Club, Pink Pony Club
[Guitar Solo]
[Outro]
I'm gonna keep on dancing
I'm gonna keep on dancing
Versions[]
| Version | Released on | Release date | Producer | Recorded | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Released | Single, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess | April 3, 2020 | Daniel Nigro | 2019 | 4:18 | |
| Demos | ||||||
| Rough demo "Pink pony girl???" |
Intended for: The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess | Snippet shared: February 14, 2021[10] | Nigro | February 14, 2019 | Snippet: 0:20 | |
Credits[]
Song[]
- Personnel
- Chappell Roan — vocals, songwriting
- Daniel Nigro — production, engineering, songwriting
- Sam Stewart — guitar
- Ben Romans — piano
- Kate Brady — background vocals
- Ryan Linvill — programming
- Mitch McCarthy — mixing
- Randy Merrill — mastering
- Technical
- Published by Daniel Leonard Nigro Music (ASCAP)
Music Video[]
- Griffin Stoddard — Director
- Evan Brown — Executive Producer
- Danny Pollack — Producer
- Ashley Robicheaux — Choreographer
- Oren Soffer — Director of Photography
- Armando Vernet — Production Designer
- Blake Hilton — Art Director
- Sebastian Rico — Property Master
- Hadley Hillel — Set Decorator
- Orchid Taylor — Stylist
- Vivian Lau — First Assistant Camera
- Michelle Suh — Second Assistant Camera
- Peter Etherington — First Assistant Director
- Christine Adams — Steadicam Operator
- Miguel Razo — Gaffer
- Robert Quinn — Key Grip
- Morgan Ackerman — Best Boy Grip
- Justine Sierakowski — Chappell Hair and Makeup Artist
- Desiree Mojica — Background Hair and Makeup Artist
- Orchid Satellite — Stylist
- David Flynn — Production Manager
- Jessica Overcash, Samantha Luper, Jake Giessman, Skiah Garde — Production Assistants
- Tom Poole for Company 3 — Colorist
- Dalton Harts — Sound Designer
- Noah Weisfogel — Title Designer
- Jay Sprogell — VFX Artist
Award Nominations[]
- 2025 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards for "Favorite Viral Song"
References[]
- ↑ Aswad, Jem (March 1, 2023). Rising Star Chappell Roan Meets Her Moment With Ecstatic New York Show: Concert Review (en-US).
- ↑ Levine, Nick (2024-02-05). Chappell Roan: the pop supernova who feels like one of the 'Drag Race' girls (en-GB).
- ↑ V Exclusive: Chappell Roan's 'Pink Pony Club' out NOW! (April 3, 2020).
- ↑ Wass, Mike (April 3, 2020). Chappell Roan Reinvents Herself With Genre-Bending "Pink Pony Club".
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Ribner, Sonya (August 12, 2022). Slumber Party Pop: A New Authenticity with Chappell Roan (en-GB).
- ↑ Ryan, Patrick (December 16, 2020). The 10 best songs of 2020, including Billie Eilish, The Weeknd and Cardi B (en-US).
- ↑ Alter, Rebecca (May 27, 2021). Sorry But the Song of Summer 2021 Is This Stripper's Delight From Summer 2020 (en-us).
- ↑ Pink Pony Club Original Spotify Release.
- ↑ Chappell Roan Performs "Red Wine Supernova" and "Pink Pony Club" - MTV Push (March 2024).
- ↑ @ChappellRoan: Two years ago today @dan_nigro & i started writing Pink Pony Club…
[]
| The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess | |
|---|---|
| Songs Femininomenon • Red Wine Supernova • After Midnight • Coffee • Casual • Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl • HOT TO GO! • My Kink Is Karma • Picture You • Kaleidoscope • Pink Pony Club • Naked In Manhattan • California • Guilty Pleasure (September 22, 2023 • 49:08 • Amusement Records) Tour The Midwest Princess Tour |