RENEÉ RAPP - SNOW ANGEL
The long-awaited debut album by Reneé Rapp - Snow Angel - is finally here, showcasing the multi-talented singer's capability and proving her as a force to be reckoned with through stellar vocals and witty and carefree writing ability. For a debut album, Reneé does not hold back - her talent excels throughout the tracks individually, producing a seamless and incredible piece of art.
Opening the album on a high is ‘Talk Too Much’ - the second single off the pop-stars debut masterpiece. This pop-fueled angst anthem proves itself to be a stand-out on the record. With its catchy rock-inspired guitar riff and jaunty baseline, Reneé provides a song for the overthinkers who get into their heads during the early stages of a relationship. Reneé’s powerful and gritty vocals stand out as she sings: “I’m here again / Talking myself out of my own happiness” - a relatable feeling for the overthinkers who think the worst out of a good situation - the self-sabotagers. ‘Talk Too Much’ gives the album one of the best bridges on the record as the singer talks and vents to her lover - reeling out her inner consciousness. “Okay, having said all that / Do you still wanna be with me? / 'Cause, like, I wanna be with you / Like, like, maybe even forever” mirrors the inner turmoil Reneé experiences as a self-doubter in relationships. By including an unedited “SHUT THE FUCK UP” scream at the end of the song, it proves the song to be a stand-alone classic, allowing it to set the angsty, raw, unedited and powerful undertone for the rest of the record.
Jumping from a pop-driven anthem into an emotional piano ballad comes ‘I Hate Boston’. Reneé’s haunting and intense vocals carry the track - goosebumps rise on the initial listen as she belts: “How’d you make me hate Boston”. Her love for this city that she once felt at home in has been tarnished and destroyed - “They should just burn the whole city down,” Reneé declares as she expresses her rage. Snow Angel is heavily personal - surrounding themes of her past relationships and situation-ships - yet ‘I Hate Boston’ feels the most personal in terms of past lovers due to Reneé’s powerful choral-like powerhouse vocals.
‘Poison Poison’ launches the record straight back into the pop realm of Reneé. “You get on my nerves” the powerhouse sings - whomever this song was penned about has enraged Rapp so much that she refers to them as Poison. With the echoing la la la’s in the background, it is easy to envision the crowd at her gig clicking and clapping along to the catchy beat. Reneé’s songwriting abilities are not to be doubted, especially in ‘Poison Poison’ - one of the most memorable and Instagrammable caption lyrics from this whole album is “Yes I am a feminist / But bitch you’re making it so hard for me to be always supporting all women.” Some may find this harsh yet it allows Reneé to express her rage towards this person in a comical but memorable way. This song is distinctive - people will be relating this to any toxic situations they have been in - the singer has dedicated a song to the haters.
Songs like ‘Gemini Moon’, ‘Wedding Song’ and ‘Willow’ explore the softer vocals of the singer - they explore deeper emotions and feelings. ‘Gemini Moon’ focuses on the conflicting two-sided emotions you experience in a relationship - some days it will be good, others not. “I could blame the Gemini moon” is a relatable lyric for Generation Z who blame their problems on astrology and their star signs. Even though it is a jokey motif to write about, Rapp turns it on its head and produces a raw and meaningful song about dealing with conflicting emotions. ‘Wedding Song’ reminisces about a song she wrote about an old lover and the regret that the world will never hear it. A simple yet raw rendition of Reneé’s talent pours out of ‘Willow’. “Don’t cry Willow, I’ll cry Willow” repeats throughout the song - her caring and loving emotions resonate within this cute song. It is a musical hug to those who need it - those who need reassurance that their feelings are valid.
The lead single and album title track ‘Snow Angel’ is a flawless and perfect performance from the singer - Reneé’s vocals in this track are not human as her ability to sing like this convinces her as a staple artist in this emerging era of new pop-icons. “I’ll make it through the winter if it kills me,” haunts throughout the track, mirrored by the effortless production by Alexander 23. Her passion radiates throughout - this powerful vocal-driven song displays the singer's effortless capability to sing with no gimmicks. The building section of the song: “I blame him cause it's easier” leaves a permanent emotional mark on the memory - this track is an attention grabber, especially for those wanting to get into Reneé Rapp.
The ‘Gay Experience’ is an individual yet universal experience - the queer artist with an even larger queer audience explores this in ‘Pretty Girls’, an upbeat pop anthem with not as joyous undertones. The dance club beat travels throughout the track - close your eyes when you hear this song, as you can feel the beat and see the nightclub lights swirling. ‘Pretty Girls’ explores a situation where girls want to go out and kiss people, even though they may be in relationships or want to experiment. With a soft start, the song bursts into a pop-infused staple track. “Some mouth they wanna kiss all the pretty girls / They got to have a taste of a pretty girl,” is sung alongside the dance beat throughout the song - Reneé turns a somewhat uncomfortable experience into a gay dance floor classic. “In the AM all the pretty girls / Act like it never happened in another world,” fully identifies the feeling of being used by someone who only wants to have fun on a night out. The lack of inhibition you feel when intoxicated replicates the emotions felt when hearing this track - it would not be surprising if this track becomes a cult favourite.
‘So What Now’ presents another witty and comedic styling to the record - “If I miss your calls I’m gonna cry,” introduces the song about deciding whether or not it is a good idea to reconnect with an ex, and how Reneé would go about the situation - “I might kiss you but I also might fight you.” Despite not wanting anything to do with the person, the feeling that they should still be begging for your attention lingers, creating pent-up frustration.
Regarding the comedic wit of her writing, ‘Tummy Hurts’ explores callous yet forgive-and-forget feelings Reneé holds as someone she was once with moves on to someone else. “Now my tummy hurts / He’s in love with her,'' represents the gut-wrenching sadness tied with breakups, yet she immediately brushes this off by singing “But for what’s it's worth they’d make beautiful babies.” This track allows the singer to work through this breakup for her to forgive and forget intertwined with RnB stylings and production. Another stand-out lyric on the album present in ‘Tummy Hurts’ is: “I just want some recognition for having good titis and a big heart.” Reneé remains candid and carefree in her writing - nothing holds her back from singing about what she feels is necessary for people to understand her as an artist entirely.
Taking a theme diversion away from relationships and dealing with getting over break ups, Reneé truthfully sings about her experience with losing a loved one and grief within ‘I Wish’. This emotional acoustic guitar-driven song allows her to reminisce about someone she has lost - whilst also acknowledging that life is temporary and you should hold onto your loved ones while you can. She sings: “I’ve been mourning since ten years old” as a moving and chilling performance is achieved through the song. A theme of this album is dealing with emotions and learning to get over things and move on - ‘I Wish’ deals with this on a different but a lot more personal level than the other songs on Snow Angel.
Closing the album and retaining the candid nature of some of the rawer, more personal tracks on Snow Angel, ‘23’ explores the dreaded birthday blues many people experience - the process of aging and not knowing who you are yet. It is possibly the most personal song on the album - the singer does not hold back singing about her anxieties during her twenty-third birthday celebrations. “The bags on my eyes, not there not designer but they're overpriced” highlights Reneé’s inner turmoil as she melodically thinks she should be somewhere else at twenty-three - she thinks something is missing. Implying: “It feels like everyone hates me” adds to the emotional vulnerability she allows herself to express in this track. The weeping guitar at the end of the track proves this song to be a love letter to Reneé herself - unlike the other songs on Snow Angel.
The vulnerability combined with the pure vocal talent of Snow Angel sets Reneé apart from the rest - she is a force to be reckoned with and is here to establish herself as a serious artist and performer. Sonically this album embodies everything about her - it gives an insight into all aspects of her life, past and present, cultivating every element of the showstopper's life. The consistent and definite themes throughout the album are mature and revealing - showcasing her immense growth since her EP - Everything To Everyone. Reneé is seriously here to stay and make her well-deserved mark - Snow Angel is an album not to be skimmed over and deserves high status.
Amber Nielsen
★★★★★