Reneé Rapp might be known for writing bold, sultry pop songs, but she says the reality behind her lyrics is far more complicated.
Speaking to GRAMMY.com, the 25-year-old singer and actress explained that even her most confident-sounding tracks are rooted in darker emotions.
“I’m perceived very differently from how I view myself and how I actually am in my head,” she said. “Everybody’s like, ‘Oh, she’s so confident and embraces everything.’ But I don’t feel that way wholeheartedly.”
Rapp pointed to At Least I’m Hot, a standout track from her latest album BITE ME, as a perfect example.
“If you boil the song down to what it is, it’s like, well, I’m depressed and borderline don’t want to be alive, but at least I’m sexy. I wanted to make something that was a positive takeaway, or at least a cute takeaway, from that feeling,” she said.
While fans might hear self-assured empowerment in her music, Rapp admits the underlying themes are often far from uplifting.
“If you boil down any of my songs or lyrics on paper, they’re really depressing. Even the ones that you think are irreverent, empowered, and inspiring are actually depressing. They suck. They actually suck.”
Finding joy in the process
Despite the heavy themes, creating BITE ME brought Rapp to a more positive place in her personal life. The Mean Girls star, who is dating fellow musician Towa Bird, says working on the record helped her appreciate what she has.
“I used to feel like such a little freak. People would constantly just be like, ‘Ooh, that’s too much,’ or, ‘Why would you say that?’ Then I realised I just needed better friends, people who didn’t want to make me smaller so they could feel comfortable. That’s always been the case for me, and I think it’s the case for a lot of artists and creatives.”
By the time the album was coming together, Rapp’s outlook had shifted.
“[Making this album] was the first time I liked my life. I was like, oh, fuck. I love my life. I love my girlfriend. I love my friends. I love everything that I’ve done. I love being alive, even if I’m not happy all the time.”
