For this week's "Music Notes," I decided to explore one of my personal favorite releases from last year. The song in question is "HOT TO GO!" by Chappell Roan.
Fresh off her debut album, "The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess," "HOT TO GO!" is all about a queer woman who desires another woman, expressed through quirky references to fast food and consumerism. A direct line back to the title of her album, the singer's Midwest experience also plays a role in this track, as she uses her subtle country-esque twang and growling vocals to emit her feelings of longing.
The song combines these elements with those typically found in songs from musicals to allow listeners into her inner thoughts. Roan starts in anxiety-ridden pants, singing, "I could be the one or your new addiction / It's all in my head but I want non-fiction," and its relatable tone is what many people face when developing a new crush.
Roan's charisma shines through as she slowly lets her thoughts slip out, reclaiming the idea of "hotness" and being attractive as a queer woman. Begging her newfound interest to see her as this idea, she leads into the pre-chorus, which almost feels like a call-and-response chant. This is one of the key moving parts of this song since most pop songs don't tend to integrate an interactive element.
She says, "H-O-T T-O G-O, snap and clap and touch your toes / Raise your hands, now body roll, dance it out, you're hot to go." Ironically, this line of the song is acted out in real-time at Roan's shows. Listeners also begin to catch on with the fast food theme. I can interpret this as a dig towards the stereotypical "American woman," who is typically blonde, white, straight and "innocent-looking."
While Roan fits some of these categories, she also goes against the norm by openly talking about liking the same sex and, even more explicitly, stating she wants to sleep with them. We feel the singer's urgency again after the chorus repeats its "HOT TO GO!" chant multiple times in the second pre-chorus, her gasps getting more aggressive and her jealousy coming to the forefront.
Lyrics like, "And baby, don't you like this beat? (Na-na, na-na, na) / I made it, so you'd sleep with me (Na-na, na-na, na)" and "You don't have to stare, come here, get with it / No one's touched me there in a damn hot minute" prove Roan's comfortability with her listeners as well, not straying far from the details of her sex life, which is empowering to see in modern pop music.
Arguably, the best part of this song comes toward the end when Roan finally decides to go for the person she wants so badly. This is matched by her extensive vocal range, belting out a string of high notes reminiscent of predecessors like Lady Gaga. The lyrics are also frantic but wildly flirtatious and desperate.
Roan sings, "What's it take to get your number? What's it take to bring you home? / Hurry up, it's time for supper, order up I'm hot to go," once again poking fun at the standards of society's likeness towards heteronormativity and submissiveness.
As the song ends, the singer uses her real speaking voice to snap out of her feverish daze, a sonic symbol of reminding oneself of one's actual reality when it comes to having a crush. However, it seems like her destiny to take someone home worked through the use of her charisma and charm.
She says, "Whoo, it's hot in here / Is anyone else hot? Whoo / You comin' home with me? Okay / It's hot, I'll call the cab." It's a comical yet perfect ending to a fast-paced, electrifying track, and only someone like Chappell Roan can emit the confidence and seductiveness needed for a storyline like the one she's created.
Overall, "HOT TO GO!" is about redefining what it means to be attractive and free, and Roan perfectly encapsulates this theme in the span of three minutes and four seconds.
