Renée Rapp has officially unleashed her highly anticipated second album Bite Me, and it’s clear the rising pop star did things her way. “I wanted to love this,” Rapp says of making the album. “I wanted to be able to walk away from this and be so proud of myself… no matter what anybody else thought.” From the very first listen, Bite Me indeed sounds like an artist confidently coming into her own. The 12-song set – out now via Interscope – mixes fiery pop-rock attitude with Rapp’s vulnerable songwriting, encouraging listeners to “embrace every facet of their personality, the chaotic and the confident” as one promotional teaser put it.
The record includes the grungy guitar-driven single “Leave Me Alone”, which arrived back in May with a wild music video featuring Rapp and a posse of lookalike blondes in a pillow fight-turned-brawl. That playful ferocity carries through the new tracks as well. On “Shy,” Rapp lets her guard down over soaring pop hooks (she even debuted the song live on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on release day), while cheekier cuts like “At Least I’m Hot” bring a wink of humor – even featuring a cameo from Rapp’s real-life girlfriend, musician Towa Bird. Yet amid the sass, Rapp’s raw emotions shine on ballads like “That’s So Funny,” which tackles the ache of a broken friendship in her signature powerhouse vocals.
Critics are already praising Bite Me for its honesty and punch. One reviewer noted Rapp “isn’t interested in being clean-cut – she’s too busy being honest,” and the honesty is paying off. Fans flooded social media with instant acclaim, many calling Bite Me an “album of the year” contender and celebrating its “no skips” tracklist. The rollout has been appropriately superstar-sized: Rapp staged a sold-out album release show in Brooklyn and announced her biggest tour yet, a 16-city Bite Me tour this fall that will include arena stops at Madison Square Garden and more. With Bite Me, Renée Rapp hasn’t just avoided the sophomore slump – she’s bitten back at any doubters and delivered a fearless pop statement on her own terms.
