Reneé Rapp

Reneé Rapp released her sophomore studio album BITE ME on August 1 via Interscope Records and Polydor UK. The 12 tracks from BITE ME ignite a new sonic era for Rapp, placing her in line to become one of the next biggest names in pop.

Staying true to its title, BITE ME showcases a captivating side to Rapp, one of which is defiant, vulnerable and true to herself.

The album begins with ‘Leave Me Alone’ (the songstress’ lead single, released earlier this year) which flaunts a playful confidence against hearty pop-punk inspired instrumentation. Referencing key aspects of her raise to fame, and even her fan’s demands for more music within its lyrics (“Manager call me, said ‘where’s the single?’ Leave me alone, b*tch, I wanna have fun”), ‘Leave Me Alone’ captures the mindset of this highly anticipated album.

Throughout BITE ME listeners are exposed to the singer’s inner monologue whilst she manoeuvres life in the spotlight. A recurring theme is the breakdown of a relationship and the foundations of a newly found romance. Whether it’s the sultry ballad ‘Why Is She Still Here?’ that explores a friends to lovers timeline or ‘Good Girl’ that highlights Rapp letting her guard down for a new flame.

The singer caters to all types of fans throughout the LP, carefully curating a body of work that captures her multi-faceted nature as an artist. ‘Sometimes’ and ‘That’s So Funny’ depict Rapp’s powerhouse vocals that seem extraordinarily effortless. The latter of which can be viewed as a second part to Snow Angel’s ‘Poison Poison’, as Rapp slows things down to highlight a softer and maturer outlook to the end of a meaningful friendship.

Whereas ‘Kiss It Kiss It’, ‘At Least I’m Hot’ and ‘Shy’ present another side to the singer’s personality, one of which is carefree and confident. Peppered with irony, ‘Shy’ becomes a standout track from BITE ME, encompassing the powerful vocals, guitar-driven melodies and unfiltered lyricism that have become quintessential to the 25-year-old’s discography. The singer starts the track timidly exploring her nervousness in a new relationship, however, as the track builds both the instrumentation and lyricism become bolder and less ‘Shy’. Particularly within the lyrics, “Come on and cross my heart and hope to die / I’m thinking somewhere in between your thighs / I wanna mark it up like ‘X’ and ‘O’ / ‘cause, baby I’ll do things your exes won’t”.

BITE ME concludes with ‘You’d Like That Wouldn’t You’, a more energetic track compared to its predecessor, ‘That’s So Funny’. This accentuates the cyclical nature of the album and its curation in giving listeners insight into the last two years of Rapp’s life, following the release of her debut Snow Angel.