Reneé Rapp is the pop-cultural zeitgeist
By Katlynn Leon ’25, A&E Contributor
If every time you open your TikTok “For You Page” it is flooded with videos of Reneé Rapp, you are not alone. Seemingly overnight Rapp has catapulted herself to new heights of fame and relevance. The eccentric
pop-star is having such a great start to 2024 that rumors have been flying about her being an industry plant. The truth is, Reneé Rapp is
a hustler.
Born in Huntersville, North Carolina on Jan. 10, 2000, Reneé was involved in musical theater from a young age. By the time she was in high school, she was being awarded for her performances in regional musical theater productions. At 18, she attended The National High School Musical Theatre Awards (A.K.A. the Jimmy Awards) and won “Best Performance by an Actress” over 40 competitors.
Rapp continued to read for different parts and take any opportunity to be on stage, including a Broadway back-to-school event. After performing at two conventions in 2019, Rapp was given a trial month as Regina George on Broadway. This led to her officially securing the role in Sept. of that year.
Only seven months later, Broadway shut down due to the COVID pandemic. Still, Rapp kept putting in the work to climb to the top. She would not be deterred from her dreams of fame. After months of
auditions, Rapp was finally cast as Leighton Murray in Mindy Kalling’s The Sex Lives of College Girls an HBO Max original. The show, which also stars Timothée Chalamet’s sister, Pauline Chalamet, was wildly successful and was renewed for a second season.
During this time, Rapp was signed to Interscope Records and began work on her first EP. On Nov. 11, 2022 the EP Everything to Everyone was released and just three days later a small tour was announced. Naturally,
the tour sold out, perhaps in part thanks to her EPs going viral on TikTok, where Rapp gained even more attention. Soon, more dates were added to the tour, which also sold out. Less than one year later, Reneé Rapp’s
first studio album Snow Angel was released. Fans absolutely loved the album and it’s great range from poppy-upbeat songs like “Pretty Girls” to heartbreaking ballads like “Snow Angel.” She performed this album,
her EP, and covers on the international Snow Hard Feelings Tour with Alexander 23 and Towa Bird as openers. At last, her dreams of being a musician came to fruition.
Yet, Reneé Rapp could not stop climbing to new heights in the buisness. She reprised her role as Regina George on the big screen in the 2024 Broadway musical adaptation of Mean Girls. While the musical-comedy has received negative reviews from audiences who don’t understand why it even exists or were dissatisfied with the musical numbers, everyone can agree that Reneé Rapp’s performance in the film solidified her as a star. Even though the cast is stacked with talent, boasting the hilarious Tina Fey ( from the original Mean Girls cast), Reneé has stood out in the Mean Girls press junket, setting herself apart from her castmates with an overly honest, overtly sexual and out of pocket attitude. It is refreshing and reminiscent of early Jennifer Lawrence.
Just this past weekend, Rapp was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live. On the show, Rapp poked fun at her “lack of media training” with Jacob Elordi. Clearly, she knows what she is doing and does not need
any training to turn heads.
Reneé Rapp is an icon and she is taking the world by storm with her dedication, talent and carefree attitude.
