Renee Rapp’s new album was inspired by her relationship.
While the 25-year-old singer/ songwriter admitted she previously thought she “had to be in a miserable relationship to make a good album”, she was happy to be proven wrong after working on new record Bite Me, while dating fellow musician Towa Bird.
She told Variety: “I thought you had to be in a miserable relationship to make a good album. I’ve been in a really miserable relationship and made an okay album, and now I’m in an amazing relationship, and I believe that I made something that I think is great.”
However, Towa has resisted all attempts by Renee to collaborate.
She explained: “I keep trying to do s*** with her, and she’s like, ‘No, bro’.”
While Renee worked on the record while dating Towa, she admitted they the songs deal with the last six years of her life and previous relationships.
She said: “Everything inherently that I do is lesbianism. Everything I make is gay. Even the parts that were informed by relationships when I was with men – they’re still lesbian songs to me. Because when I was with men, it wasn’t like I just wasn’t gay at that point. I was conforming.”
And, the tracks have also been inspired by her friends in the Brooklyn gay scene.
Speaking about the song Why Is She Still Here?, which deals with the emotional aftermath of non-monogamous relationships, she said: “You can’t throw a rock and not hit an open queer, lesbian relationship in Brooklyn. So many of my friends get involved in relationships that are either open or poly and then end up being like, ‘Oh my God, wait, I can’t do this.’”