Reneé Rapp’s Bite Me Tour Rocks New York City’s Madison Square Garden: 5 Best Moments

Just a few days after revealing that new music from The Internet is on the way, lead vocalist Syd graced The Garden’s stage to open for Reneé Rapp. With a smooth, tender tone and a lovably bashful stage presence, Syd ripped through a collection of songs that displayed her range as an artist, songwriter, and producer. Not only did she play her seductive new single, “Die for This,” but Syd also performed The Internet’s signature hit (“Girl”) and her infectious 2016 Kaytranada collaboration (“You’re the One”).

Of course, Syd smartly took the opportunity to perform “Plastic Off the Sofa,” a track from Beyoncé’s Renaissance which she co-wrote and won her first Grammy with. Opting for a more lo-fi, jazz arrangement, Syd’s rendition of the alluring track, Syd’s rendition felt unmistakably hers — a key feat for a song that already has such a recognizable, Grammy-winning version.

After tearing through “Everything to Everyone” and a particularly fiery rendition of “Leave Me Alone,” Rapp took a brief minute to address the crowd. “My name is Renée Rapp,” she proclaimed. “And welcome to my crash out!”

Obviously a tongue-in-cheek welcome message, Rapp’s quip also felt decidedly apt. One of the main attractions of Bite Me is how it revels in unadulterated outspokenness and confrontation — so, in simpler terms, the album is a musical “crash out.” If we’re going by TikTok’s definition of the term, that is.

In “At Least I’m Hot,” the night’s final song, the second verse is a call-and-response between Rapp and her girlfriend, fellow acclaimed recording artist Towa Bird: “How ya doin’, Nay?/ I’ve been doin’ real bad/ Damn, but you look so fit/ Wеll, I can guarantee that.”

On Monday night, Alyah Chanelle Scott, Rapp’s Tony-winning former Sex Lives co-star, and Alexander 23, the track’s co-writer, helped complete the call-and-response. To create a moment of intimacy, no matter how brief, between yourself and two longtime collaborators and friends in the middle of a sold-out arena show is no easy task — but somehow, Rapp pulled it off.

There are two things everyone should know about Renée Rapp: She’s a proud lesbian and a card-carrying member of the Beyhive. She stressed both parts of her identity throughout the show, but the Queen Bey tribute was one of the night’s most impressive moments.

After slaying “Daddy Lessons” during soundcheck, Rapp performed a full cover of Queen Bey’s “Ego,” a track from her 2008 I Am… Sasha Fierce LP, in the middle of the show. Sitting atop a grand piano, Rapp delivered a pitch-perfect rendition of the snap-laden track, including the intricate riffs in the bridge, which has spawned their own TikTok challenge. “If you don’t know that song, you’re too young,” she joked after basking in the rapturous applause. “I love Beyoncé!”

In an interview last year, Rapp gushed over receiving a bouquet of flowers from Beyoncé, citing her as “the reason that I know how to sing. I would sit down and listen to her different tonalities and phonics and phrasing styles and be like, ‘Please, Jesus, let me be able to do this.’” Later that year, Queen Bey named Rapp as one of her favorite “female singers-songwriters who are out right now.” It looks like there’s no end in sight for this love fest, and that’s just the way it should be!

Sure, “Leave Me Alone” was the explosive opener and “At Least I’m Hot” brought the whole thing home, but the true show-stopping vocal performance of the night belonged to two non-Bite Me tracks: “In the Kitchen” and “Snow Angel.”

When Rapp debuted with “In the Kitchen” in 2022, the song arrived with a boatload of lore, but none of that mattered when she got behind the mic stand on Sunday night. Beyond the otherworldly vocals — seriously, to perform such a demanding song with such accuracy and conviction well over an hour into the show is nothing to scoff at — Rapp’s eyes told the whole story.

Now three years and two studio albums removed from its release, “In the Kitchen” stands as the song that properly launched the pop star known as Reneé Rapp. Not only is it the musical embodiment of her decision to depart from the acting world, but “In the Kitchen” also remains a soaring, heartbreaking ballad that now soundtracks Rapp’s “I made it” moment. As she scanned the jam-packed arena near the song’s end, even her smoky eyeshadow couldn’t hide the tears welling up in her eyes — and that emotion resonated with every fan in the building, old and new alike.