All signs point to Reneé Rapp being just fine with Boston
“I Hate Boston” singer Reneé Rapp is unapologetically honest — except, she doesn’t actually hate Boston.
This summer, Rapp’s team planted a not-so-subtle “I Hate Boston” billboard in the North End to promote a song from her debut album, “Snow Angel,” which was released Aug. 18. The marketing tactic, Rapp said, was meant to be “divisive.”
“For me, this is funny as [expletive],” she said.
Rapp’s album — a follow-up to her 2022 EP “Everything to Everyone” — debuted at No. 44 on the Billboard 200, making it the biggest solo debut album for a female artist this year. Before establishing herself on the pop charts, the 23-year-old North Carolinian starred in Max’s “The Sex Lives of College Girls” and played Regina George in “Mean Girls” on Broadway (she’ll return to that role in the upcoming film adaptation of the musical).
Ahead of her sold-out show Saturday at Roadrunner, Rapp spoke to the Globe about her tour, her new album, and what she really thinks about Boston.
Q. You are halfway through your tour. How are you feeling?
A. I’m really tired, to be honest. But we’re driving into my hometown now, in Charlotte, so I’m excited to see my family.
Q. Most of your shows are sold out. What about the album do you think has made it so successful?
A. I know that arguably, it is successful, but it doesn’t feel that way to me. I get excited to be able to perform these songs but it doesn’t sink in with me as I think it does to other people around me.
Q. In August, your team planted an “I Hate Boston” sign in the city. Have you received any feedback from angry Bostonians?
A. Old men on Twitter get mad about pretty much anything. They were probably mad about that. I kind of wanted that. I wanted it to be divisive. You put out a sign that says, “I hate this city,” not for sentiment, but for marketing. I think that’s absolutely hilarious.
Q. “I Hate Boston” is about how an ex-boyfriend ruined the city for you because you associate Boston with him, but do you actually hate Boston itself ?
A. No, I don’t actually hate Boston. I’ve only been once. It was fine, by all accounts. But it’s not even about Boston. It’s about a different city. I’m not going to use a city that my ex lives in and give him any kind of clout or recognition. So, I just used Boston.
Q. How do you deal with moving forward in your life when you associate a place or thing with bad memories from your past?
A. I think they just fade away. We were just in a city that I lived in for a while and had a really tough time there. I honestly was so happy being there this time around. I’ve grown so much, and I’m glad that I’ve shaken off people who were just really brutal to me.
Q. You’ve mentioned in past interviews that “Snow Angel” is a very honest album. Was it hard to dig into those emotions and be honest?
A. No, not at all. I’m a very emotional person. It’s something I used to hate about myself, but now it’s something I’m very proud of.
Q. Has your process of songwriting changed from “Everything to Everyone” to “Snow Angel”?
A. I don’t think the songwriting process has. It’s more my confidence in my writing. I’m definitely more thoughtful. I’m ready to push more. But I think that just comes with experience.
Q. When you’re writing songs, do you have an audience in your mind that you are writing for?
A. Yes, but also no. If I start thinking about “Who am I writing this for?,” I would write what other people would potentially want, which is not fair to myself or for my fans.
Q. There are so many young girls that look up to you because of how you express your sexuality through social media, music, and your character of Leighton Murray in “The Sex Lives of College Girls.” Has your relationship with your sexuality changed in any way since you began your career?
A. It’s definitely gotten so much better because it’s more visible now in a very palatable way. I’m fortunate to be someone who is out publicly and is very loudly bisexual and who is typically congratulated for that.
Q. Boston is the fourth-biggest college town in the country. Do you have any advice for the sex lives of college girls in Boston?
A. I always feel not qualified to give advice, pretty much on anything, yet I’m always giving my opinion. I feel like I’m kind of just experiencing all this [expletive] the same. If I gave someone advice that I didn’t agree with two years later, I would just die.