The actress-singer opened up in a new interview Wednesday promoting her latest single, 'Talk Too Much.'
Reneé Rapp is shifting her focus to music.
After the actress announced her unexpected departure from Max's The Sex Lives of College Girls in the forthcoming third season, the 23-year-old went on Apple Music 1 on Wednesday, where she spoke to host Zane Lowe about reprioritizing her career goals amid her newest single release, "Talk Too Much," from her upcoming album, Snow Angel.
"I think the easier part for me is when I'm doing stuff on stage or screen, I at least trust that the material is not mine. I think with songs I become so much more territorial and I've been really afraid of that since the beginning, especially when it comes to writing," the singer said. "It's easier to trust on stage and screen because you have to. You literally don't have an option. And it's great when you're working with amazing people who you do trust. And there's a very distinct difference and it's really hard to... or it's been hard for me. I'm not going to say it's hard in general and all people suck. I think some people are so f**king amazing and beautiful and awesome to be around."
Prior to Rapp's exit from Sex Lives, where she plays wealthy university student Leighton, she announced a worldwide Snow Hard Feelings Tour that kicks off Sept. 15 in Houston, Texas, and wraps up March 2024 in Europe. Rapp admitted in the interview she feels more fulfilled when she's making music compared to when she's acting onscreen.
"I love it so much. It's like, I don't even care. And I don't know if that's because I've had different experiences on the other side because I've also had amazing experiences on the other side, but it just doesn't f**king matter to me in music," she explained. "Everybody's like, 'Music is so psychotic. This business is crazy. Don't you wish you could just go back to not having that?' And I'm like, 'No. No. I am so much happier when I'm doing this.'"
"It's the most emotionally intense ups and downs that I have because then it also makes the other things really hard," Rapp continued. "I care so much about my music and I care so much that when there are those down moments, they're so f**king down. Because I feel like a lot of times people are like, 'Yeah, I don't really care. It's cool. It slides off my back.' I'm so envious of those people. I think that's amazing. And I would love to develop that trait."
Rapp detailed the process in writing "Talk Too Much," on which she collaborated with producer Alexander 23, sharing it was the first song they worked on together before they were "cool."
"He is so particular," she credited. "He's honestly just so smart that he's like, 'No, you can't have it until I go through and do things to it to make it a full song.' I kind of just listen to whatever he says now, which is weird because I really didn't like to do that."
On Monday, Rapp confirmed she was leaving Sex Lives as a series regular in season 3, where she'll appear in a handful of episodes in a recurring capacity before signing off. She thanked co-creators Mindy Kaling and Justin Noble for creating a character, who is a lesbian, for being a positive representation for the LGBTQ+ community.
"College Girls moved me out to LA and introduced me to some of my favorite people. [Two] and a half years later -- it's given me y'all and this community. Thank u Mindy, Justin and everyone at Max for believing in me," wrote the Broadway veteran, who next reprises her role as Regina George from the Mean Girls musical in the new big-screen adaptation.
"A lot of queer work gets belittled, but playing Leighton has changed my life," Rapp continued. "I love who I am 10x more than I did before knowing her. I hope she gave y'all a little bit of that too. She's such a tiny part of representation, but even the tiny parts count. I wouldn't be half the person I am without her, and y'all, I love that b**ch more than you know."
"I'm so excited for this season and I can't wait for you to see what we have coming for her and the girls," she ended her note.
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