The femme queer icon I didn’t know I needed
As an avid musical theater fanatic, I’ve had Reneé Rapp on my radar for years. Lately, though, she’s become practically a household name. As many people now know, Rapp reprised her role as Regina George in the new Mean Girls movie musical, having debuted the role on Broadway about five years ago. Rapp’s vocals, acting performance, and media presence have definitely gripped audiences’ attention since the release of the Mean Girls movie musical. She’s been called lots of tongue-in-cheek nicknames, especially on TikTok, from “a PR nightmare” to “the realest celeb of our time.” No matter what you call her, Rapp’s confidence and individuality is absolutely unmatched. Check out some of her best and most unhinged interview moments below. Bonus points if you can make it through without cracking a smile – I couldn’t!
Though incredible, Reneé Rapp’s performance as Regina George isn’t what hits home for me about the actress and singer. In the past year or so, I’ve found myself absolutely blown away by her discography, which is extremely varied in style and content. Rapp has released both an EP and an album, in 2022 and 2023, respectively. Everything to Everyone, her EP and first release, features seven songs. My personal standout from the EP is “Colorado”. The song describes the struggle of knowing there are better options and opportunities outside of your comfort zone, but feeling wary of exploring them for fear of losing what you already know. I think the whole song can be summed up by the powerful lyric: “I’ll choose the devil I know over the heaven I don’t.” The first time I heard this lyric, I stopped dead in my tracks. I’d never felt so called out by someone who’s never met me before. How does she know exactly what I feel like? I wondered.
At this point in my life, I was talking to someone for the very first time. I’d never really considered dating before, and had a pretty tumultuous history with boy-crazy high school friends, around whom I felt like a social pariah. I was just barely beginning to come to terms with my sexuality and with queerness in general. But somehow, with all of that baggage and fear, I was absolutely giddy to be in this talking stage. It was the first time I’d truly considered doing what would actually make me happy, and listening to Reneé Rapp’s description of the idyllic life she could be living gave me hope. Hearing her sing about the fear of enjoying life made me feel less alone. Huh, I guess I’m not the only one who’s both excited and scared.
In 2023, Rapp released Snow Angel, her first album. Featuring 12 songs and a wide range in lyrics and musicality, Snow Angel quickly grabbed my attention. One song that immediately spread across TikTok like musical wildfire was “Pretty Girls”, a heartbreakingly relatable track to many. Rapp’s unabashed admittance to both the enjoyment and guilt she feels when receiving compliments from straight women is refreshing. She straight up says “You think that I’ll be flattered… it’s pathetic ‘cause you’re right”. The confusion and guilt that accompanies being queer in a heteronormative society is a canon event, you might say, and hearing about it from someone with the standing and credentials that Rapp has brings queer people comfort and community.
Rapp’s most recent release, “Not My Fault”, is perhaps her most obviously queer piece of work. It grew in popularity almost overnight, drawing listeners in with its dance worthy rhythms, Rapp’s epic vocals, and a feature by Megan Thee Stallion. With a sample from the original Mean Girls, “Not My Fault” points out the tension between characters from the movie, addresses and essentially confirms the queerness of Regina George (a fan favorite theory ever since the movie’s release, and especially lately on TikTok), and definitively crowns Reneé Rapp as the queen bee in this modern Mean Girls era (no hate to Rachel McAdams and her legendary performance in the original Mean Girls). Rapp performed “Not My Fault” on Saturday Night Live a few weeks ago, solidifying the legitimacy of the song as more than just an end credit track for the Mean Girls movie musical. With lyrics like “It’s not my fault you came with her but she might leave with me,” and “Can a gay girl get an amen?,” “Not My Fault” is the femme queer anthem I didn’t know I needed.
We live in a world where an honest representation of queerness in the media is damn near impossible to come by. The redundancies, stereotypes, and absences that typical “representation” is plagued by can become tiring. Through all of this, Reneé Rapp holds a realistic and vulnerable space for young queer women. It may seem silly to attribute such power to a musician, but when you want to see yourself reflected, any and all representation is invaluable. I’d encourage you to check out Reneé Rapp’s music, acting, and media interviews, regardless of the community you identify with.