Reneé Rapp stuns the Greek Theatre

The audience heard the pop singer’s debut album,“Snow Angel,” live Saturday night.

By JESSICA MESSINA
Jessica Messina Singer-songwriter Reneé Rapp is the new alt-pop star, taking inspiration from elements of rap, hip-hop and R&B to create her own unique sound. Rapp’s career has flourished since her EP debut last year. (Jessica Messina)

Reneé Rapp’s performance at the Greek Theatre this past Saturday took heartbreak and passion to a whole new level. There is no word more fitting to describe her stage presence and vocal ability than “powerful.”

Her discography only stretches back a year: This past August, Rapp released her debut album, “Snow Angel,” which she has been performing at her international Snow Hard Feelings Tour this fall. Her career has quickly developed since 2019, first through her role as Regina George in “Mean Girls” on Broadway and later as Leighton Murray on HBO’s “The Sex Lives of College Girls.”

Rapp’s unique vocal talent is a result of her theater experience and R&B influences. She is capable of switching between belts and whistle notes in seconds, transitioning seamlessly as she brings her audience through a rollercoaster of emotions.

Intentional or not, Rapp is a new queen of sad anthems. Songs like “In the Kitchen” and “I Hate Boston” encapsulate raw and relatable emotion that — whether they’re heartsick, single or fully committed — any listener feels compelled to sing along to. She also explores the pain of family and friend relationships through songs like “Poison Poison” and “I Wish.”

The concert at the Greek Theatre divided its setlist into the four seasons, with Rapp essentially taking her audience through an entire year of her life. To fans’ surprise, she deviated from her typical structure to add another song that wasn’t her own, showing a short clip of her high school self singing “Exchange” by Bryson Tiller.

“I was very … fortunate to have a lot of amazing R&B influences in my life,” Rapp told the audience. “I love Bryson Tiller so I was like, ‘I want to cover that song.’ I figured, why not?”

As she began performing the number, the audience went wild as Tiller came on stage. The two gave a stunning performance that was only made better by Rapp’s excitement over the experience. The screen behind her even read “Reneé Tiller” with heart emojis.

Tiller’s surprise appearance was not the only guest number. Both openers, Towa Bird and Alexander 23, returned to the stage for performances in the summer and winter set. Bird and Rapp’s energized production of “Tummy Hurts” further excited the crowd and added to the thrill of the song. As a co-writer of “Snow Angel,” Alexander 23 aided in the performance of “I Wish,” and both of their parents were in the audience to listen to the musical number about grief and familial connection.

The energy Rapp produced made the venue an incredibly safe, warm and free environment for audience members to interact with the music as they liked. As an openly bisexual artist, Rapp’s discography details the LGBTQIA+ experience of love and heartbreak. At different points throughout the concert, people could be seen dancing, screaming and crying.

Despite most of Rapp’s songs being about the tragedies of love, the concert was surprisingly filled with many couples. Duos danced and swayed to the variation of ballads, showing how her music connects with a diverse range of people.

Also in attendance were TikTok sensations Chris Olsen and Dylan Mulvaney. The duo interacted with fans through waves, finger hearts and photos, adding to the liveliness of the event. In recent months, Mulvaney has been heavily in the public eye through her rapid social media growth and disputed Bud Light partnership. However, because of the warmth of Rapp’s fan base, both influencers were approached with kindness and respect. Audience members asked before taking photos with the TikTok stars and politely waved from their seats.

To no surprise, Rapp ended the show with her song “Snow Angel,” taking the time between the set ending and encore to change outfits while the stage presentation shifted. What had been a grassy, moss-filled setup suddenly became flurried with snow. Rapp revealed a pearly white outfit and began the song to a backdrop of angel wings, physically representing the contents of her song. Many fans in the audience wore glowing angel headbands in solidarity with Rapp’s embodiment of an angel.

Her voice carried incredible, unwavering strength through each number. Switching between notes is no easy feat, and Rapp appeared to do it effortlessly. Alongside her steadfast voice, she danced wildly to the music and encouraged the audience to dance along. Her bubbly personality almost completely contrasted the deep emotions imbued across her music. She is an embodiment of all of the best aspects of Generation Z, making her both relatable and approachable to individuals interested in her music.

It was clear that Rapp appreciated her fanbase. She had a great rapport with the audience and even directly greeted audience members in the first rows by name.

“I love you guys so much,” Rapp said. “This is the best night of my life.”

Her teary eyes and wide smile confirmed it, alongside the exhilarated cheers of her fans. Rapp put on a sensational show and, while she is just in the beginning of her career, it is evident that more success is to come.

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