Reneé Rapp’s ‘BITE ME’ lacks bite
The American pop star’s second album is a mixed bag.
Photo: Zora Sicher
Broadway veteran, actress and American pop star, Reneé Rapp has just released her hotly anticipated sophomore album BITE ME. The record sees her exploring love and heartbreak in all its shades. While the project is a solid entry into her discography with some fantastic tracks, other songs leave more to be desired.
The album’s lead single, Leave Me Alone, opens the album with a bang. The song sees Reneé embrace what the internet has dubbed her “lack of media training” with provocative lyrics and brazen confidence. She takes aim at everything from her own public persona to the cancellation of her former show The Sex Lives of College Girls: “Took my sex life with me / Now the show ain’t fucking”. This unfiltered and bold approach is what endeared many to Reneé as an artist.
We then move on to Mad, another catchy single, which sees Reneé contending with a grudge-bearing ex. It’s well arranged and an impressive showcase of Reneé’s ability to make powerful belts seem effortless. Reneé’s musical theatre background becomes further evident on the sultry single Why Is She Still Here?, which finds her trapped in a role as the other woman. Reneé’s soaring vocals and her enormous range are on full display.
Things slow down with piano ballad, Sometimes, which carries forward the themes of infidelity, albeit while showcasing a more vulnerable side to Reneé. Here she sheds the veil of unbotheredness. Once more, the song’s greatest strength is Reneé herself, whose angelic harmonies really elevate the deeply emotional lyrics.
We then switch gears once more for Kiss It, Kiss It, a summery banger with a euphoric chorus. It’s a playful and cheeky track, which is reminiscent of Sabrina Carpenter’s recent brand of pop. It’s well-produced pop perfection. While it is one of the better songs on the album, it is also a prime example of the jarring shifts throughout the record. While it’s not uncommon for an album to explore a variety of moods and sounds, the consistent tonal whiplash can lead the album as a whole to feel incohesive.
The song is followed up by Good Girl, which is one of the record’s most forgettable and generic tracks. The lyrics about giving in to temptation are decent, but the instrumentation feels a little uninspired. While it’s passable, it kills some of the album’s momentum.
We’re back on track, however, with the excellent electric guitar ballad, I Can’t Have You Around Me Anymore. The arrangement is simple but incredibly effective as Reneé finds herself on the other side of a love triangle. This time, she’s the one in a relationship trying to distance herself from someone who makes her girlfriend jealous. The role reversal from Why Is She Still Here? makes this song all the more piercing.
The energy dials back up with Shy, a song that sounds like it belongs in an early 2000s romcom, fully fit with a cheer squad style bridge, and At Least I’m Hot, a disco style bop that would feel right at home on Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia. They’re both fun tracks, but further evidence of a body of work that doesn’t fully gel.
I Think I Like You Better When You’re Gone and That’s So Funny are not much to write home about beyond continued evidence of Reneé’s unmatched vocals. But we thankfully end on a high with You’d Like That Wouldn’t You, which sees her lean into pop-rock sensibilities to incredible effect. It’s Reneé at her best, unapologetic bluntness delivered with a wink. It’s a track that feels like it truly delivers on the promise of an album titled BITE ME.
Ultimately, BITE ME falls victim to the sophomore slump. While the highs of the album are undeniable, unfortunately, at times it lacks cohesion and feels weighed down by its more forgettable tracks. It’s far from a dud but may leave listeners wanting more.
BITE ME is out now via Interscope Records.