Creating a queer Midwest and West through celebrity fashion

Using the ‘visible invisibility’ of Katherine Schweighofer and the concept of being ‘functionally invisible’ from Mary L. Gray, this article examines the musical stylings and clothing choices of Lil Nas X and Chappell Roan. In Nas’s ‘Old Town Road’ era and Chappell’s ‘Midwest Princess’ tour, both artists create a kind of functionally invisible queerness to outsiders. They use regional fashion choices and a complex layering of lyrics to fit into mainstream country and pop, respectively, musical and visual expectations. While this adherence to expectations may provide an entry point into their music for some fans, a closer inspection reveals the truly queer nature of both artists.