The opening of Reneé Rapp’s second studio album ‘Bite Me’ is a middle-finger-raising, rabble-rousing anthem. The aptly titled ‘Leave Me Alone’ sees Rapp assert right out the gate: “I’m a real bad girl but a real good kisser” before adding: “Leave me alone, bitch, I wanna have fun”. Playful and provocative, it’s a sour sugar rush of eye-rolling lyrics that rally against the industry (“I took my sex life with me, now that show ain’t fuckin”) and the pressures placed upon Rapp (“My manager callеd me said: ‘Where’s thе single?’”), all spun over punchy production, slinky riffs and earworm hooks.
It’s a killer opening to the record (both literally and metaphorically with ‘Leave Me Alone’ acting as the lead single for ‘Bite Me’); one that sets the tone for Rapp’s second record. The follow-up to 2023’s poignant ‘Snow Angel’, a record of impassioned pop music that showcased Rapp’s impressive vocals, is self-assured and confident. Fusing the aforementioned pop with powerhouse punk and rock sonics, Rapp drew on influences like Alanis Morissette, Joan Jett, and, as she told Rolling Stone. “writing inspiration just from people, like a bad bitch all around like Kate Moss”, the record dives further into this newer musical world.
The tracks are also filled with personality, cheeky asides and brilliantly blunt lyricism, Rapp’s quick wit shining through. It’s this personality that has won Rapp scores of fans, particularly during the press tour for 2024’s film adaptation of the Mean Girls musical (in which she appeared as queen bee Regina George), where she embraced chaos (and disregarded media training).
You see it in tracks like ‘You’d Like That Wouldn’t You’, which evokes the rip-roaring amped-up sounds of Olivia Rodrigo or P!nk; meshing these musical worlds with lyrics that are distinctly Rapp. Direct and tongue-in-cheek, Rapp opens with: “If I drive to your spot/And my tits spilled out of my cherry top / And apologised for a lot / Would you like that?”.
On the bouncing, funk-flecked ‘At Least I’m Hot’ Rapp promises: “If I get a text from another ex, I swear Iʼm gonna end up behind bars”; and on the Avril Lavigne channeling ‘Shy’, she demands in the chorus: “Donʼt handle me with care/When youʼre pulling my hair/Baby ruin my life”. Meanwhile, ‘Kiss It Kiss It’, with its Kylie Minogue eliciting synth-pop, Rapp reflects: “I think we almost made a baby / I mean we canʼt / but we came so close”.
It’s refreshing: a record where playful, flirty moments sit comfortably alongside raw, messy honesty. The lyrics are dynamic and complex, delivered with Rapp’s powerhouse vocals and electric charm. This is biting pop music – sharp, self-aware, and elevated, yet always anchored in her unmistakable point of view. And crucially, it never forgets to be wickedly good fun.
READ MORE: Please, nobody get Reneé Rapp media training
