By Renee O’Connor, Opinion Editor
First getting her start on Broadway in the musical adaptation of “Mean Girls,” Renee Rapp has been in the public eye since she was in high school. Her talent was just as clear back then, as it is in her new album “BITE ME.”
While Lola Young’s album is a close second, this album is my favorite to drop this year. It is incredible throughout, top to bottom, zero skips. This album is fun and, as the title would imply, biting. The album is filled with upbeat radio pop, and it also has deep and meaningful ballads.
I love the radio pop songs on this album. “Mad,” “Kiss It Kiss It,” “Good Girl” and “Shy” are just a few of my favorites. They are all sarcastic, upbeat and what you would expect from a pop album, while also giving you the opposite.
“Shy” is about being a naturally sarcastic, outgoing and outspoken person, but having someone suddenly make you feel shy. This is a sentiment I think a lot of people can resonate with, making her music relatable.
The lyrics on these songs are nothing to write home about, but the melody, beat and vocals definitely are.
They are better than the average autotuned pop music you may hear on your drive to work. She uses euphemisms and real-life experiences to make these songs fun.
Renee is most known for her ballad songs, and this album delivers there, too. “Why Is She Still Here?” “Sometimes” and “I Can’t Have You Around Me Anymore” are so incredibly profound and touching. All of these songs are not accompanied on piano, subverting what we know when we think of ballads.
“I Can’t Have You Around Me Anymore” might be one of my favorite songs of all time. It deals with the real struggle of being in a committed relationship with someone, but falling in love with one of your friends, a taboo subject, that, unfortunately, a lot of people secretly relate to. It’s emotional and real.
“Sometimes” is also a story about being in a relationship with someone where it’s strictly casual, but you want more. She acknowledges that she knows what she signed up for, but she can’t do it anymore.
Renee Rapp on her album, “BITE ME,” makes her Broadway roots clear. Her vocals are unmatched with anyone in the pop genre right now. They are raw and unfiltered, but that has always been her prerogative.
Along with Chappell Roan, Renee Rapp is one of the most popular examples of women-loving-women killing it in the pop scene right now. They are both fantastic representations for the LGBTQ community, and we love to see it.
Renee Rapp was not one of my favorite artists before the release of this album. In fact, I didn’t like her.
“BITE ME” won me over entirely. It’s pop music while also being sensitive and deep, something I’ve only seen Taylor Swift master so far. I hope to see Renee get the acclaim she so deserves. While Broadway wanted her, the pop genre needed her.
