Reneé Rapp is an American singer, songwriter, and actress from Huntsville, North Carolina. Her rise to fame came from her role as Regina George in Mean Girls on Broadway from 2019 to 2020 and her reprise of the role in Mean Girls (2024), the movie musical, in which she contributed to the soundtrack with a song featuring Megan Thee Stallion.
Snow Angel is the debut album of Reneé Rapp, released on August 18, 2023, through Interscope Records. The album features 12 tracks and lasts 36 minutes long. One month later, the deluxe version was released on November 17, 2023, featuring three new tracks and a remixed version of “Tummy Hurts,” featuring Coco Jones, another singer/actress. The genres include R&B/Soul, Pop, and Pop Rock.
Talk Too Much
Rating: ★★★★½
“Talk Too Much” explores the idea of being in a new relationship and spiraling while wondering if the relationship is good or bad, while also self-sabotaging by feeling like you’re always too much for others. The song’s instrumental is so fitting for the vibe of the song, and Rapp’s effects placed on her voice add such a unique sound that I love. The ad-lib at the end of the song where she tells herself to shut up also adds to the realization of her wrongdoings with her self-sabotage.
I Hate Boston
Rating: ★★★★
“I Hate Boston” is about a city that one of her ex-girlfriends had ruined for her, and the situations that she went through in the relationship. The city of Boston is used as a cover-up. Although the lyrics are beautiful, the instrumental is always what draws me into this song. Similarly, the fluidity of her vocals throughout this song is so beautiful. This song is such a great song to scream while crying, especially with the way the emotions peak towards the end of the song and finally settle in the end.
Poison Poison
Rating: ★★★
“Poison Poison” is a song that Reneé quotes as the “most sarcastic, cynical song that I have on the record.” This song’s playful melody and eventual switch to a nice, quiet beat is such a great feat to this song. The lyrics are funny and extremely relatable to anyone who has had someone that you thought was great until you finally realized their true colors. Although not a song that I would necessarily seek out to listen to, when it is on, I have a good time!
Gemini Moon
Rating: ★★★★
“Gemini Moon” is a song about the struggle of balancing extremes, as well as feeling dragged around throughout the choices and decisions she is making. She got the idea from this song after multiple bad experiences that happened during full moons, which ended up being Gemini moons. This song has such beautiful vocals, and I enjoy the vibe of this song. It feels like lying in your bed, staring at the ceiling, and just reflecting on everything.
Snow Angel
Rating: ★★★★★
“Snow Angel” is a song that touches on many difficult topics and is based on a traumatic experience that Reneé experienced. I speak highly of a lot of music, but this song makes me feel like I’m listening to it for the first time after every listen. The way that the emotions swell and fall, the lyricism and euphemisms are incredible, and the production value of this song has so much heart put into it. While the song expresses some of her trauma, in interviews, she notes how she feared releasing the song due to how vulnerable she is in it, is truly what makes this song so amazing.
So What Now
Rating: ★★★
“So What Now” is a song about talking to an ex about what she’d do if they reconnected. She talks about loving this ex but not wanting to see him. The ending makes me laugh every time, it’s so silly. The lyrics are very relatable, and the instrumental fits the vibe of the song. If I’m being honest, the repetition of, ‘If I’m missing calls, I’m gonna cry,” really irks me for some reason. It’s the way that it was produced and over-pitched that just annoys me slightly.
The Wedding Song
Rating: ★★★★
“The Wedding Song” is a song about how Reneé wrote a song for a lover for them to play at their wedding, but the relationship failed, and she’s trying to show what they missed. This song genuinely is one I always make sure to listen to first in the album because of how much I love it. There are so many beautiful elements to the song. The verses are so sad and beautiful, and the chorus is so happy and graceful, with the swelling of the instrumental at the chorus, as well as the lyricism.
Pretty Girls
Rating: ★★½
“Pretty Girls” is a song about the experiences with “straight” women who either do not understand their sexuality or are just trying to experiment and are using people. I love the idea of this song, but it feels so empty to me. Some of the songs from this album are also empty-sounding, but it always sounds like it fits. This song also does not fit the vibe of the rest of the album in the best way. I like the idea of the song and some of the production value, but it feels like it’s lacking in some areas.
Tummy Hurts
Rating: ★★★★★
“Tummy Hurts” is a song about how Reneé went through a bad relationship and how she predicts his daughter will go through the same situation when she’s older, forcing him to understand what Reneé went through. In an interview with Apple Music for the album, she said, “I love this almost childlike way of saying I have a stomach ache and then this really adult feeling of someone who is in love with someone else. This song is SO good. The immediate vibe from the instrumental is one of my favorite parts. Her vocals in this song are also so addicting, and I feel like this genre is where she truly shines. This is a song that I always go back to when I see this album, as it is too good to skip.
I Wish
Rating: ★★★★
“I Wish” is a song about Reneé coming to terms with and understanding the concept of death. This song is so beautifully written and produced. The way that her vocals slide throughout the chorus, as well as the immediate devastation that the instrumental brings to me. Death is such a sensitive topic for so many people, and I think this song perfectly encapsulates the feeling of understanding that people will die one day, and it’s out of our control. I especially find this in the ending of the song, with the almost silent instrumental, and then it immediately swelling, and finally dropping again. I also love that this song shows some more of her range, with the verses being a bit lower and the chorus going a bit higher.
Willow
Rating: ★★★½
“Willow” is a song about trying to take away someone else’s pain as a way to make them feel better. Although I may be biased because she personifies the tree to be a person with the name Willow, I like this song. Sometimes I feel like the instrumental does not fit the vibe of this song, but I just always feel like I remember the song sounding a lot sadder than it actually does. I think that it definitely has a lot of playtime in my playlists, but it’s not a song I seek out; rather just listen to it when it comes on.
23
Rating: ★★★★
“23” is a song about Reneé the day before her twenty-third birthday trying to stop overthinking about growing up, but rather just living free. I think this song is a beautiful way to end the album, as it’s a very introspective song, reflecting on the way that she thinks about herself and trying to find a way to live more freely in terms of her mind. To end the album on a note of trying to better herself closes the album out perfectly. The instrumental is pretty, her vocals (like always) sound incredible, and it wraps up the album in a nice bow.
Find “Snow Angel” by Reneé Rapp on all major streaming services!
