Snow Angel (Reneé Rapp album)

Snow Angel is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Reneé Rapp. It was released on August 18, 2023, through Interscope.

Snow Angel
Studio album by Reneé Rapp
Released	August 18, 2023 (2023-08-18)
Recorded	January–June 2023
Genre	Pop pop rock
Length	36:34
Label	Interscope
Producer	Alexander 23 Jon Bellion Petro AP Isabella Sjöstrand Some Randoms TenRoc Pop Wansel
Reneé Rapp chronology
Everything to Everyone (2022) Snow Angel (2023)
Singles from Snow Angel
"Snow Angel" Released: June 9, 2023 "Talk Too Much" Released: July 12, 2023 "Pretty Girls" Released: August 18, 2023

The deluxe version of the album was released on November 17, 2023, featuring a remix of “Tummy Hurts” featuring singer/actress Coco Jones and three new songs.^[1]

Background and development

Most of the album was written, recorded and mixed over the course of six months in early 2023, which, to Rapp, felt like "20 years". Her musical debut sees a significant shift for the actress turned singer, as she pointed out that music is everything she "ever wanted to do". However, she also revealed how "panicked" she became about the album, citing other people's thoughts and opinions on her music. Comparing her debut EP Everything to Everyone (2022) to her first full-length project, she felt like a different person creating the latter. Rapp also called the experience of collaborating with producer Alexander 23 as a growth in trusting herself.^[2]

Rapp announced the album and its lead single "Snow Angel" on June 6, 2023. She revealed further details about the development, saying that she "spent 4 months writing nearly every day". The singer reported of "traumatic experiences" that influenced her writing and dramatic recording sessions that made her cry "in damn near every studio in the valley". The recording process was supposed to be wrapped up on May 8, however, Rapp and Alexander "decided to try a hail mary".^[3]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	75/100^[4]
Review scores
Source	Rating
Dork	^[5]
Line of Best Fit	8/10^[6]
Rolling Stone	^[7]
The Skinny	^[8]
The Telegraph	^[9]

Snow Angel has received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has an average score of 75 based on four reviews.^[4]

Sam Franzini of Line of Best Fit opined that the songs on Snow Angel pursue "the same angst and pent-up energy that all pop songs must have" and praised Rapp's ability to let her listeners know about her "big feelings" in "exuberant, hilarious" ways.^[6] Alex Ingle at Dork sees the album as the "arrival of Reneé Rapp" and drew comparisons to the likes of Panic! at the Disco and Carly Rae Jepsen.^[5] In a more moderate review, Lucy Fitzgerald described the record as a "well-calibrated blend of ballads and upbeat pop" with no "showstopping moments" but Rapp playing by "debut pop album rule book".^[8] Writing for The Telegraph, Poppie Platt thought that Rapp is on lane to become "a fabulous 21st century popstar" if she continues to lace her music with the same "natural wit" she presents on screen but is at risk of becoming yet another "successful young actor turned pop star" without "that special something".^[9]

Commercial performance

Snow Angel debuted at number 44 on the US Billboard 200, with 18,000 album-equivalent units earned,^[10] making it the biggest first week for a debut album by a female artist in 2023. The album debuted at number 7 on the UK Albums Chart,^[11] making it her first entry on the chart.

In Australia, the album debuted at number 42 on the ARIA Albums Chart, making it Rapp's first and highest charting entry in the country as well.^[12]

Following the release of Mean Girls and its accompanying soundtrack on January 12, 2024 as well as a performance on Saturday Night Live by Reneé on January 20, 2024, the album re-entered the US Billboard 200 at number 114 with 10,000 album-equivalent units earned on the week ending February 3, 2024.^[13] The album also re-entered the Scottish Albums Chart at number 67.^[14]

Track listing

Snow Angel track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Talk Too Much"	Reneé Rapp Alexander Glantz Cleo Tighe	Alexander 23	3:16
2.	"I Hate Boston"	Rapp Glantz Delacey Ian Fitchuk Lucy Healey Rob Bisel	Alexander 23	2:54
3.	"Poison Poison"	Rapp Glantz Justin Tranter Skyler Stonestreet	Alexander 23	3:11
4.	"Gemini Moon"	Rapp Glantz Tranter Stonestreet	Alexander 23	2:40
5.	"Snow Angel"	Rapp Glantz	Alexander 23	3:35
6.	"So What Now"	Rapp Glantz Andrew "Pop" Wansel Daniel Klein Matt Campfield Isabella Sjöstrand	Alexander 23 Wansel Sjöstrand Some Randoms	2:50
7.	"The Wedding Song"	Rapp Glantz Amy Allen Jason A. Cornet Jon Bellion	Alexander 23 Bellion TenRoc	3:03
8.	"Pretty Girls"	Rapp Glantz Tranter Stonestreet	Alexander 23 Petro AP	2:26
9.	"Tummy Hurts"	Rapp Glantz Delacey	Alexander 23	2:48
10.	"I Wish"	Rapp Glantz Tranter Stonestreet Laufey Jónsdóttir	Alexander 23	3:43
11.	"Willow"	Rapp Glantz Tighe	Alexander 23 Petro AP	2:41
12.	"23"	Rapp Glantz Taylor Upsahl	Alexander 23	3:22
Total length:				36:34

Snow Angel – Deluxe Edition

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
13.	"Messy"	Rapp Glantz Caroline Ailin LOSTBOY Ryan Tedder Tyler Spry	Alexander 23 Tedder	3:09
14.	"I Do"	Rapp Wansel	Alexander 23 Wansel Germanò The Monsters & Strangerz	2:39
15.	"Swim"	Rapp Glantz	Alexander 23	3:30
16.	"Tummy Hurts" (remix; featuring Coco Jones)	Rapp Glantz Delacey Jones	Alexander 23	2:48
Total length:				48:40

Personnel

Musicians

• Reneé Rapp – vocals (all tracks), background vocals (tracks 1, 5)
• Alexander 23 – acoustic guitar, bass, electric guitar, synthesizer (all tracks); background vocals (1–5, 7, 8), drum programming (1, 3–12); strings, Wurlitzer electric piano (1); drums, synth bass (3); piano (5, 8, 10), programming (6), Synclavier (10)
• Pete Jonas – drum programming (1, 5, 7)
• Cooper Cowgill – drums (1, 2, 4–7)
• Kim Vi – piano (2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12)
• Alyah Scott – background vocals (5)
• Rex DeTiger – drums (5)
• Matt Campfield – guitar (6)
• Some Randoms – guitar, keyboards (6)
• TenRoc – drum programming, electric guitar (7)
• Petro AP – background vocals, synthesizer (8, 11); drum programming, guitar, sound effects (8); piano (11)
• Towa Bird – electric guitar (9)
• Laufey – cello (10)

Technical

• Chris Gehringer – mastering
• Alex Ghenea – mixing
• Alexander 23 – engineering (1, 5), vocal production (all tracks)
• Pete Jonas – engineering (1, 5)
• Will Quinnell – mastering assistance

Charts

Chart performance for Snow Angel

Chart (2023–2024)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)^[15]	42
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)^[16]	32
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)^[17]	52
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)^[18]	76
Irish Albums (IRMA)^[19]	97
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)^[20]	31
Scottish Albums (OCC)^[21]	3
UK Albums (OCC)^[22]	7
US Billboard 200^[23]	44

References

1. Taylor, Sam (November 17, 2023). "Reneé Rapp has Released a Deluxe Edition of 'Snow Angel' Featuring Several New Songs". Dork. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
2. Halabian, Layla (August 16, 2023). "A night out with Reneé Rapp". Nylon. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
3. O'Connor, Siobhain (June 6, 2023). "Reneé Rapp has announced a new single, and her debut album, 'Snow Angel'". Dork. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
4. "Snow Angel by Reneé Rapp Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
5. Ingle, Alex (August 18, 2023). "Reneé Rapp - Snow Angel". Dork. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
6. Franzini, Sam (August 17, 2023). "Reneé Rapp "Snow Angel"". Line of Best Fit. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
7. Johnston, Maura (August 18, 2023). "Reneé Rapp's 'Snow Angel' Is An Emotional Rollercoaster You'll Want to Ride". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
8. Fitzgerald, Lucy (August 15, 2023). "Reneé Rapp album review: Snow Angel". The Skinny. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
9. McCormick, Neil; Platt, Poppie (August 18, 2023). "Hozier joins the all-time greats – the week's best albums". The Telegraph. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
10. "Renee Rapp's 'Snow Angel' Is The Biggest Solo Debut Album For A Female Artist In 2023". Top 40 Charts. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
11. Brandle, Lars. "Hozier Lands First U.K. No. 1 With 'Unreal Unearth'". Billboard. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
12. "Australiancharts.com - Renee Rapp - Snow Angel". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
13. @chartdata (January 29, 2024). "Renee Rapp's 'Snow Angel' re-enters this week's Billboard 200 at number 114 following SNL (10K sold)" (Tweet). Retrieved January 30, 2024 – via Twitter.
14. "Official Scottish Albums Chart". OCC. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
15. "Australiancharts.com – Renee Rapp – Snow Angel". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
16. "Ultratop.be – Renee Rapp – Snow Angel" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
17. "Dutchcharts.nl – Reneé Rapp – Snow Angel" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
18. "Offiziellecharts.de – Reneé Rapp – Snow Angel" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
19. "Irish Albums Chart: 8 March 2024". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
20. "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. February 5, 2024. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
21. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
22. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
23. @billboardcharts (August 28, 2023). "Debuts on this week's #Billboard200..." (Tweet). Retrieved August 29, 2023 – via Twitter.