Reneé Rapp released her sophomore album, BITE ME, on August 1, 2025, following an almost two-year time gap since she last released music, and supporters had been eagerly awaiting the so-called RR2. BITE ME’s twelve tracks blend Rapp’s own pop sound with tough-as-nails R&B influence to offer an album that is both familiar and fresh.
Rapp began the era with her lead single, “Leave Me Alone,” on May 21. The track is aimed squarely at the pressure placed on her to release new music, with lines including “Signed a hunned NDAs but I still said somethin’,” a blatant nod to her struggles in her years as an actress portraying Leighton Murray in The Sex Lives of College Girls. It’s a strong, confident lead single that sets the stage for what comes next.
It’s from there that the album features lots of contrast—cute, catchy bits sit alongside raw, emotional ones, taking the listener on a rollercoaster of emotions. “Shy” has a pure pop sound: bubbly and flirtatious, the kind of song for late-night road trips and belting with friends. Meanwhile, “I Can’t Have You Around Me Anymore” takes things into more complicated territory, navigating boundaries and temptation when a friendship starts feeling like something more.
“That’s So Funny,” features deep punches to the listener’s soul. Rapp delivers a sharp, emotional takedown of betrayal and manipulation. The song is biting, layered, and a standout for its mix of vulnerability and anger. To keep things balanced, “At Least I’m Hot” brings humor and attitude, turning stress into a bold anthem of resilience.
What gets BITE ME is how it captures the grottiness of youth—alternately fun, broken-hearted, but always unrepentant. For fans, this isn’t so much a return as it is Reneé Rapp owning up to her strength.
