Renée Rapp flaunts realest, risqué self in vulnerable ‘BITE ME’
Renée Rapp uses "BITE ME" to poke fun of her mistakes and share remorse with vulnerable lyrics and clever wordplay. The album pivots from Rapp's previous power ballads. Hannah Mesa | Illustration Editor
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I was on a 30-minute walk when I initially listened to Renée Rapp’s first single from “BITE ME.” The three-minute song was on repeat the entire time. I knew from then on it was going to be a Renée Rapp summer.
While Rapp was previously best known for her power ballads and strong vocals, it was this song, “Leave Me Alone,” that introduced her as a pop diva icon. On Aug. 1, Rapp released “BITE ME,” a 12-song album that combines her fun pop and emotional intensity into one.
“Leave Me Alone” set the tone for the rest of the album: real and vulnerable. Rapp is at her best when she doesn’t mince words. Fans have loved her media moments on Ziwe and lie detector tests — they’re a bit unhinged and totally witty. It’s exactly the kind of person I’d imagine to write “BITE ME.”
Sex, partying, cheating – Rapp lives in a moral gray area on her second studio album. But somehow she comes out on top.
The largest controversy is Rapp’s admission to cheating on a former girlfriend with her current girlfriend, Towa Bird. Many took to TikTok and other social media to denounce or defend Rapp, with some saying it doesn’t reflect the quality of “BITE ME.”
“I would never, ever, ever cheat … again,” Rapp sings on “You’d Like That Wouldn’t You,” the final track.
The song sarcastically delivers this message to her ex-girlfriend, who fantasizes about getting back together. Rapp makes it clear it’s the last thing she’d ever do.
While Rapp feels comfortable making fun of her past mistakes, she also comes across as remorseful on “I Can’t Have You Around Me Anymore.” The title of the song is Rapp admitting she’s part of the problem. Rapp’s recognition of her part to play is the bare minimum.
“I feel so relieved to be able to poke fun at something so horrible that happened to me and make light of it and something that I did at one point that I’m not proud of,” Rapp said on a recent episode of the Call Her Daddy podcast.
Many fans said her crying on stage performing I Can’t Have You Around Me Anymore is an indication of her remorse. Rapp’s ability to fluctuate between emotional ballads and careless party girl pop is what made the album for me. And through it all, you understand a flawed but real journey.
A defining moment in the emergence of Rapp was her role on “The Sex Lives of College Girls,” where she plays a lesbian who finally comes out in university. However, Rapp left the show and was written out of Season 3 before the show was ultimately cancelled.
Rapp said it was to fully pursue her music career, but her sarcastic comments on CHD and Ziwe suggest there may have been more behind the scenes. Now, two songs on the album address the departure.
“That’s So Funny” is a sad representation of breaking her SLOCG contract. Rapp gives listeners both a somber tone and an ability to poke fun at a situation.
“The show’s really over,” Rapp sings on the powerful, vocalist-focused track.
With a background in musical theater and her role as Regina George on “Mean Girls” on Broadway, Rapp’s vocals are a standout. “That’s So Funny” highlights it. The song is the closure for this era of her life, along with the show itself. While it supported her career, she’s clearly ready to move on, feeling dejected and used.
“Leave Me Alone” had a totally different tone but still uses clever wordplay to reflect on her time on (and not on) the show. Rapp uses her sex life as a metaphor for leaving and uses the show’s title to describe its downfall.
“Took my sex life with me / Now the show ain’t f-cking,” she sings in maybe the most savage lyrics of the album.
Rapp’s honesty extends to the most intimate parts of her life as she details lesbian sex in several songs, including “Kiss It Kiss It” and “Shy.”
“I think wе almost made a baby / I mean, we can’t, but we came so close,” Rapp sings on “Kiss It Kiss It.”
Rapp adds to the visibility of lesbian and other women and nonbinary LGBTQ+ pop artists – think Chappell Roan, Janelle Monaé and King Princess. Right now, they top the United Kingdom charts with the single “The Subway” by Roan and the album “BITE ME.” Rapp, along with her peers, has the freedom to talk about lesbian intimacy and to break stereotypes.
Rapp was slightly more timid on her 2023 debut album, “Snow Angel.” But since its release, she’s established herself as poorly media-trained and a “MENACE,” fans said. Looking back on the last two years, Rapp’s second album is exactly who she’s shown herself to be.
Is her music more mature? Probably not. But is it fun, and wild, and sometimes somber and reflective? Yes.
“BITE ME” is a journey that’s beautiful and vulnerable at times, and extremely confident at others. So until school starts later this month, I’ll be enjoying the rest of my Renée Rapp summer that began in May.
