When then-high-schooler Reneé Rapp won the 10th annual Jimmy Awards in 2018 with a stunningly compelling rendition of “When It All Falls Down” from Chaplin the Musical, Broadway veteran and Tony Award-winner Laura Benanti declared she’d “never be as confident as that 18-year-old.” 

Five years later, Rapp appears just as self-assured. She got her big break after being cast as Regina George in Tina Fey’s Mean Girls on Broadway – but that was just the beginning. Shortly after, she was hired by Mindy Kaling to play Leighton Murray in HBO Max’s widely-successful comedy series The Sex Lives of College Girls. And to top it all off, she’ll be reprising her role as Regina George in the Mean Girls movie musical set to hit theatres next year.

Rapp is the classic definition of a triple threat – she’s been singing, dancing, and acting practically since birth. But despite her packed resume, she didn’t emerge into the entertainment industry with a goal of being on television, film, or even Broadway – from the beginning, she’s had her sights set on a career as a solo musician.

Last year, Rapp achieved that dream with the release of her debut EP aptly-titled Everything to Everyone. Despite only having seven songs, the wide-ranging emotions she displayed resonated with her fans from Broadway and TV alike and created as much hype and excitement across social media as most full-length album releases would. Now, she’s using that momentum as she dives headfirst into the world of pop music, releasing her debut album Snow Angel. 

Even so early in her career, it’s clear that Rapp is an anomaly. Many Broadway stars attempt to transition into pop music; few succeed so seamlessly and instantaneously. She possesses a raw vocal talent so rare that it’s impossible not to listen to what she has to say – listeners are immediately drawn in.

But her immeasurable talent isn’t the only reason she’s developed a cult-like following of loyal fans – who she playfully dubs “Young Ex-Wives,” a nod to a lyric in her song “Colorado.” Rapp’s witty, sarcastic, and authentic persona doesn’t try to put on any kind of front – what you see is what you get, whether it be in her songwriting, onstage, or in a one-on-one conversation.

“Writing songs has helped me figure out who I actually am,” Rapp shares over Zoom. “And it’s not that I didn’t know who I was beforehand, but I think now, it’s just undeniable that this is who I am. Especially coming from other places in the industry, I feel like now, it’s much easier for me to be like, ‘No, this is me, this is what I’m doing.’”

If one thing is apparent on Snow Angel, it’s that Rapp certainly does know who she is. She’s taking control of her own narrative like never before. She’s less apologetic and more spunky. And above all, she’s reached her ultimate goal – and her passion for the work reflects that.

For more on Rapp’s highly-anticipated debut album, V caught up with the multifaceted artist over Zoom as she unpacked brand-new tracks on the project, delved into her aspirations for the new music’s impact, and reflected on her growth and evolution throughout her career.

V MAGAZINE: You’ve had a huge year – your EP Everything to Everyone came out last fall followed by the extended version in February, and now you’re finally gearing up to release your debut album and go on a huge tour all over North America and Europe. You went from playing small venues last year as an emerging artist with eight songs out to selling over 65,000 tickets within the first day of sale before the album was even released. What has that incredible fan reception meant to you?

RENEÉ RAPP: It feels really exciting. To be honest, it’s so nice to know that people want to come and see the tour. I am such a horrible skeptic, though. So in my brain, I’m like, ‘Okay, well, I hope people actually like the music. Like, what if they’re just coming, like, just to come?’ I don’t know, I’ll just panic until it actually happens, which is just a classic me thing. It definitely is exciting. Because frankly, I was so concerned. When we were putting up shows in the Greek and stuff, I was like, ‘Look, that’d be amazing. But in my brain, I don’t really see that happening.’ And my entire team was like, ‘Literally shut up.’ It’s totally nerve-wracking and anxiety-inducing, because I really, really, really want people to love the album as much as I do. But we’ll see.

V: Well, I don’t think you have anything to worry about judging from the reception of the singles so far – we have to talk about the lead single, “Snow Angel.” You said that you had the entire album finished, the title picked out, everything was done. And then you went back and did “Snow Angel” and changed the direction of everything. So can you tell me a little bit about your creative process in the studio recording that after you had already already finished and closed everything out, and then went in an entirely new direction?

RR: Yeah, so “Snow Angel,” it was a situation that I had recounted so many times. I had over-analyzed and explained to so many different people in so many different sessions. And it’s honestly just such a heavy topic and pressure point in my life that it just never really got its due diligence, because I think it was hard for people to approach and try to put themselves in my shoes, which I completely understand. And then honestly, one day Alexander [23] was just like, ‘Hey, we really should write that song.’ And I was like, ‘Okay, if you want to.’ And he was like, ‘But it should just be the two of us. We should just write that together.’ It made me feel like he really understood how important it was to me. So I felt like I had a lot of trust in that. And then basically, we just sat down and wrote it. And it wasn’t that I didn’t feel anything while writing it – I think I’m just sort of numb to the situation as a coping mechanism or what have you, and I had explained it so many fucking times. And I was like, ‘Alright, fine.’ But then when we played it for everybody, and my team was like, ‘Oh, we love this. This is absolutely going to be the single, nevermind.’ I was like, ‘Okay, I mean, yeah, that makes sense to me. It’s nice to know that you all feel the same.’ Yeah, it was exciting.

V: Yeah, that must have been such an amazing feeling to have that reception from the rest of your team – going from a room with your whole team to just you and Alexander in a more intimate creative process – and to have everybody receive it so well, that must have felt super validating.

RR: Oh my God. It was so nice. Yes. It definitely felt like a big artistic moment for me for sure. 

V: Yeah, definitely. And the creative process with the music video as well – directed by your best friend [and Sex Lives of College Girls costar] Alyah Chanelle Scott – also must have felt so intimate, to be able to do that with somebody that you know so deeply that has seen all of the parts of you and has watched you go through some of these experiences. And then now you get to create art based on those experiences with people that know you so well. What was shooting the “Snow Angel” video like with Alyah?

RR: I mean, there are very few people on this earth who know me so intimately. I think from a public standpoint, I’m probably perceived as a pretty open person – and I definitely am, don’t get me wrong, but I also think that I am really careful with the people around me. And so Alyah just knows me like, in and out, better than anyone – at times probably better than I know myself, which can be a little bit scary. But I think that having someone who witnessed the experience and who was on the other end when this was all happening was really validating. And it was also really great, because not only do I trust her as a director and as a creative, but she takes things just as seriously as I do. And these are things that are so important to me, and they’re equally as important to her. We just inherently would die for each other. So having her direct and really lead the fucking path on that video was just the greatest.

V: Yeah, that’s incredible. It shows in the video because it’s so personal and it hits audiences really deeply, and I don’t think that would have been possible without that connection that the two of you have. And then you’ve also released your single and music video for “Talk Too Much,” which Alyah also directed. Comparatively, was that a more light-hearted and fun creative process?

RR: It was really fun. The concept took us such a long time. Like, honestly, months of really trying to figure it out. It was something that we wanted to be really playful, but also cinematic – serious, but also light-hearted. So that definitely took a while, but I’m really, really happy with where we ended up.

V: Yeah, I love that tonally, it’s light-hearted – and the lyrics are so strong. I also wanted to ask you about some of the songs that audiences haven’t heard yet prior to the album’s release. I particularly love “Gemini Moon.” I’m a Sagittarius moon, and I can totally relate to blaming things on your star sign. So first of all, what’s your big three?

RR: So I’m actually a Gemini rising and Pisces moon and Capricorn sun. So it’s like a lot of different things.

V: Okay, that makes so much sense. So how did you decide to go with the concept of the Gemini moon?

RR: I just had a couple of really shit situations happen to me on a Gemini moon. And I was explaining a problem that I was having internally in my relationship where I was like, ‘Is this just a me thing?’ And my friends who I was writing with were like, ‘No, that that feeling makes absolute sense. Like, you’re not crazy for thinking that.’ And I was like, ‘Wow, that’s so wild. And I was like, ‘Bad shit always happens to me on a Gemini moon,’ so I looked it up on that day and it just happened to be a Gemini moon and I was like, ‘This is fucking psychotic.’ So I definitely felt like the push and pull of that was in relation to the double sided, feeling two things, and uncertainty. So I thought “Gemini Moon” would be a perfect place to put that.

V: Oh, definitely. I think also the fact that you’re a Gemini rising probably has something to do with your particular bad luck when the moon is in Gemini.

RR: [Laughs] Oh, of course. So lovely.

V: I’m also obsessed with “I Hate Boston.” The concept of someone making you hate a place so much is something that people delve into in music a lot – but in this case, it’s not a place you’ve lived together or your own hometown, but somewhere that you visited with the person. The resentment builds up and you go from being a tourist somewhere to having such a disdain for a place, even though as you say, it’s not the city’s fault. So are you able to go to Boston now, or do you still feel the same way as you did while writing it?

RR: So it’s actually not even about Boston, but that was the city that I wanted to use, because I was like, ‘I’m never going to use a city that my ex is from and give anyone that power or satisfaction to know that this is about them.’ Like, that’s just not for me. I really liked Boston because it was like a double thing. I was talking about how much I hated my show in Boston last year, because it was so fucking hot. The AC in the venue was not crushing. I was wearing fuzzy sweater, and I was just so fucking pissed. I was also sick. So I was talking about how much I hated Boston, and then I was like, ‘Oh, wow, that’d be so nice to write that song that I’ve always wanted to write about Boston.’ But I also really grew such a disdain for the city that I was visiting. And I think a lot of it is like, ‘How did you make me hate a place?’ But it’s not the place, it’s the experiences. And it’s this idea of – how did I allow you to go to your hometown and be this big boy on campus and make me arm candy? Like, how the fuck did I let that happen? How was I okay with that, and how did I let that make me feel good? So I don’t necessarily resent them, I’m just so disappointed in myself for thinking that that was how I should be treated and be allowed to be treated.

V: Yeah, that totally makes sense why you didn’t give them the satisfaction of using the actual place. Because when people inevitably Google ‘Reneé Rapp ex from Boston,’ nothing will come up.

RR: Right, 100%. Absolutely, yeah.

V: And on the more upbeat and light-hearted side of the album, you have songs like “So What Now” and “Poison Poison” – songs that are just really fun to listen to. They still have your stunning vocals and amazing production, but they’re super different from the hard-hitting, intense ballads. Does the process in the studio with Alexander and the rest of your team differ when you go in to write a song like “I Hate Boston” compared to when you go in to write a song like “Poison Poison,” for example?

RR: You know, I think the intensity is actually the same. I think that those sessions actually feel very similar to me. The only difference is like, I can laugh a little bit in the more light-hearted, sort of ‘fuck you’ songs like “Poison Poison” and things like that. But the intensity is absolutely the same – I leave feeling as mentally exhausted both days.

V: That makes sense – you put your all into your artistry with everything in the studio. Another more upbeat song on the album is “Pretty Girls” – in the past, you’ve been open about your sexuality in your music, but nothing quite as upfront and specific as this one. Did it feel freeing to write a song like that?

RR: It felt more freeing to write about the experience – it’s really just getting down to the bottom line of like, once your straight friends get a little drunk, they think you’re really interesting. And they start being like, ‘Oh, well, you know, I’ve always had a thing for you.’ And it’s like, ‘Bitch, shut the fuck up. Of course, you do, first of all, let’s be fucking clear. But second of all, shut the fuck up. Like, are we really doing this right now?’ And it just, it happens all the fucking time. Of course, there’s a part of me that’s like, ‘Well, absolutely. I’m flattered.’ But I also feel really used and kind of disgusted. But I think “Pretty Girls” is a really honest take – I will feel both of those things. And it’s not that I want to feel both of those things or that that’s how I should feel, it’s just the truth.

V: I think you write about that dichotomy really well – it’s definitely very honest songwriting and it’s cool to see that aspect of your identity reflected on this project. And I want to talk more about the tour – I’m super excited. I wasn’t able to go to your first few live shows last year, but they just looked incredible and super intimate. So you were nervous about people buying tickets to these larger venues – but now that everyone has, are you at all nervous about the transition from the really small venues to these iconic venues like the Greek, or are you kind of just going into it the same as you would the first shows?

RR: I think I’m much more excited, and I feel much more comfortable now because I’m like, ‘Okay, this is like, my fucking wheelhouse.’ Like, I’m just a performer by trade. That’s what I love. It’s what I do. It’s where I feel best. It’s like my happy spot. So I’m so excited. I think the bigger the venue, the more insane I can be. Which will be amazing.

V: The reaction from the fans has already been so incredible – so much excitement building. And fan inside jokes with chants and moments like that are always so fun to see at live shows. Your stage presence is also incomparable – you have a Broadway background and an acting background, but you’ve always been really open that you broke into the industry with the primary goal of making your own music. Broadway was just your avenue at first, but now you’re really getting to lean into your solo music and do your own thing. And I mean, I would be remiss not to acknowledge the Jimmy Awards in 2018–

RR: [Laughs] My roots!

V: Yes, exactly! But now you’ve come so far – it’s insane to see how you’ve developed as an artist since then, and since Mean Girls on Broadway, and everything else. And even just since Everything to Everyone – your sound and style has the same essence, but it’s also really grown. So when you look back on your journey as a performer on stage, all the way back to winning the Jimmy Awards until now with this tour, what do you think has been the most instrumental in shaping your growth as an artist?

RR: I think that my songwriting has been the biggest thing. I really, really think it has. Writing songs has helped me figure out who I actually am. And it’s not that I didn’t know who I was beforehand, but I think now, it’s just undeniable that this is who I am. So I think at this point, especially coming from other places in the industry, I feel like now, it’s much easier for me to be like ‘No, no, this is me, this is what I’m doing.’ As opposed to having to prove myself a lot. This is not to say that I still don’t – I constantly feel like that, but now I’m doing it, so it can’t be denied. I think that’s the biggest part of the growth.

V: And if you could pick one – what’s the main thing that you hope people come away from this album with when they hear it?

RR: I hope that it feels timeless. I think artists that I love are timeless. And I there’s such an influx of music – so much music is put out every single fucking second. It’s amazing, it’s cool as fuck, and sonically, it’s made the world so interesting. But at the same time, it just makes me want to make something that people really attach to and feel like it’s a really important part of their day as opposed to just something that they can just passively listen to. I hope it just makes a big impact on somebody’s life.