By Kristen Hawley | 27 June, 2023
You may know her as Regina George on the Broadway Musical rendition of “Mean Girls,” as Leyton on Max’s “The Sex Lives of College Girls,” or most notably – one of the funniest and bluntly honest celebrities on TikTok. What makes Renee Rapp such a unique artist is despite her being an absolute superstar, she is wrapped up in humble, best friend energy.
She’s known for her emotionally charged, raw ballads like “What Can I Do?” and “In the Kitchen,” but her bubbly song “Too Well” off her EP, Everything to Everyone has been blowing up on streaming playlists and TikTok. Fans, including myself, have been clamoring for Renee’s next move. Currently she’s reprising her role as Regina George as she’s filming the on screen adaptation of the Broadway show, but still has us all giggling, kicking our feet with the announcement of her debut album, Snow Angel. The 12-track album is set to release on August 18th, 2023, and she dropped the first lead single, “Snow Angel” on June 9th. Oh, and of course, accompanying tour dates.
It’s an incredible time to be a Renee fan.
Now let’s get into her latest single. Even though we’re slipping into summertime, “Snow Angel” takes listeners through the cold, loneliness, and darkness reminiscent of wintertime. In Renee’s case, the cold, frigidness, and fear stems from a recent traumatic experience, not snowy nights.
While Renee has always been an open book with her songs like “Bruises” and “Don’t Tell My Mom,” “Snow Angel” feels like akin to a fly on the wall during a therapy session as she bears open her wounds.
What’s the most haunting is Renee says just enough to convey such agony and self-destruction with lyrics like “I’ll angel in the snow until I’m worthy/Smiles hide what secrets keep,” without going into specifics. You can hear the growth in Renee’s vocal performance, but the song’s production is remarkable. It feels quiet – like when snow falls at night time, but builds to a crescendo that breaks the softness like a snow plow breaks the fresh, pillowy snow.
You can hear similarities to Demi Lovato’s “Met Him Last Night” with eerie, haunting tones and similar song structure to Billie Eilish’s “Happier Than Ever” where the song changes from a soft-spoken ballad into a rock anthem.Similar to Demi Lovato’s Dancing with the Devil album, which dealt heavily with the aftermath of their substance abuse and OD, Renee hints at an addiction or toxic behavior pattern that “[she] loved back then/What [she] hate[s] today.” She addresses the fact that while seasons change and life shifts, addiction is a strange monster to battle with.
I don’t want to comment specifically on what I think Renee is reflecting about, especially with such an intimate chorus, but for sure “Snow Angel” is a song for those who find themselves trapped, making snow angels as they fight their way back to peace of mind and a place of self-worth and love.
If this lead single is any indication to the depths of Renee’s psyche and songwriting abilities we’ll get with the rest of the album, we are in for a time of true reflection and heartbreak.
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