Reneé Rapp’s “Mad” Is the Snarky, Sexy Pop Breakup Anthem of the Summer
Written by: Keyali Mikaela
Reneé Rapp has officially entered her unbothered era—and we’re just living in it.
With the release of her biting new single “Mad,” the Mean Girls star-turned-pop sensation continues to prove she’s more than just a powerhouse vocalist—she’s a full-on emotional tactician. Pulled from her upcoming sophomore album Bite Me (out August 1), “Mad” takes the white-hot frustration of a relationship fight and channels it into a track that’s equal parts cutting, catchy, and undeniably fun.
Written with Alexander 23, Ali Tamposi, and Omer Fedi (who brings his signature fuzzy guitar licks to the production), “Mad” thrives on contradiction. It’s angry, but flirty. Exasperated, but playful. Vulnerable, but totally in control. Rapp walks the line perfectly, snapping out lines like “All of the time you wasted being mad / We could’ve been cute, and we could’ve been stupid” with the kind of attitude that makes you want to scream-sing it from your car window.
The production is slick and punchy, but not overworked—it leaves just enough space for Reneé’s vocal to do what it does best: take up all the air in the room. Her delivery is raw, emotional, and laced with that signature theater-kid drama that makes her songs feel like mini-musicals (in the best way possible). She’s not afraid to say what the rest of us are thinking during a fight: “You could’ve been getting head, but you were being mad.” The mic? Dropped.
Visually, the song comes to life in a tense, romantic meltdown of a music video starring Rapp and Barbie actress Alexandra Shipp. It’s steamy, chaotic, and brimming with that very specific brand of queer angst that Reneé has carved into her artistic identity. It doesn’t just enhance the song—it reframes it, revealing the undercurrent of desperation beneath the snark.
This new single also comes after a period of deep personal transformation for Rapp. In a candid PAPER Magazine interview, she opened up about hitting a wall after Snow Angel, shedding what no longer served her—from birth control and medication to emotional baggage—via intense therapy and a much-needed reset. “I basically did a purge of everything bad out of my body,” she shared. You can feel that clarity and freedom in “Mad.” It's cathartic, unfiltered, and fully in her voice.
With “Mad,” Reneé Rapp continues to solidify herself as one of the most refreshingly honest voices in pop right now. She's not here to play nice. She’s here to say the thing you’re too scared to text—and turn it into a hit. And if this is what Bite Me is serving up, we’re ready to feast.
