HISTORY was at capacity on Sunday night ahead of Reneé Rapp’s one and only stop in Toronto for her Snow Hard Feelings tour.
The 23-year-old actress-turned-pop sensation dropped her debut album Snow Angel in August of this year; the announcement of her tour, now a month deep into its North American leg, soon followed, with a second stint planned for Europe through early 2024.
Prior to Snow Angel, Rapp released an emotionally evocative EP entitled, Everything To Everyone.
Music is undoubtedly her guiding light, but Rapp has always occupied multiple lanes.
She first garnered critical acclaim for her role as Regina George in the Broadway production of Mean Girls, and the hype gained momentum when she crossed over into television as Leighton Murray, one of four title characters in Mindy Kaling’s widely praised HBO MAX series, “The Sex Lives of College Girls.” Since then, Rapp has built a worthy reputation as a multi-hyphenate, generational talent in the making.
The Snow Hard Feelings tour opens with angst-filled, catchy ruminations from guitarist and vocalist, Towa Bird, followed by a stripped-back set from Alexander 23, who also executive produced the album and its eponymous lead single “ Snow Angel.”
It wasn’t until about 10 p.m. that the crowd got its first glimpse of Rapp, a cacophony of ear-ringing shrieks engulfing the room as she stepped into view, it was a reaction so visceral that the audience seemed to catch itself off guard, but the clarity of her astoundingly powerful vocals soon leveled the energy.
Rapp cultivates an intimate atmosphere in a way only an artist in the midst of their ascendency can. She is popular enough to sell out a six-month international tour of smaller venues, but still new enough that everyone in attendance knows they are witnessing the genesis of a momentous career up close.
For the hour or so that the “Talk Too Much” singer was on stage, she transitioned seamlessly from one song to the next, on occasion pausing to interact with expectant onlookers inside the packed venue.
Rapp is known for her refreshingly unserious demeanour, and for fostering a colloquial rapport with her fans both online and in person, her knack for comedic timing and unabashedly honest repartee adding to the sense that she is singing to a room full of her friends.
Rapp made the stage her own from the minute she arrived, effortlessly commanding the space, her theatre background plain to see. Moreover, she is a technically brilliant singer, displaying impeccable vocal control, and continuously carrying notes that for other seasoned professionals would ring out like a tuneless squeal. She often makes playful tonal shifts, opting in favour of the unexpected, improvising with melodious riffs that send a tingle down your spine.
Rapp takes everything in her stride, acknowledging fan-made signs, holding eye contact, catching bracelets, and playfully swinging bras, flung from deep within the crowd, above her head.
The show maintains an energetic pace but is understated from top to bottom. The “Poison Poison” singer does not for a moment rely on the pomp and circumstance of a large production, because her voice is all she needs.
