Written by: Isabella Martino
Reneé Rapp might just be one of the greatest upcoming artists of this generation. Her new song and music video release for “In The Kitchen” are nothing short of profound.
She is only 22 years old and is already making prominent strides in the entertainment industry. She played Regina George on Broadway immediately after graduating high school, then booked the fan-favorite role of Leighton Murray in HBO Max’s Sex Lives of College Girls, before turning her focus towards music.
Photo Credit: Myxnii White
After her Broadway debut and hit television series, Rapp began releasing music. “In The Kitchen” is her second single, following “Tattoos” which has amassed almost 3 million streams in less than 2 months.
The recent release is a raw and honest lyrical pop ballad about a breakup, but it also tackles how misogyny infiltrates relationships with men, even when they end.
She uses the common phrase “don’t try this at home” in its intended meaning, but also in a literal sense, as she is facing the repercussions of turning what is meant to be a safe place into an overwhelming reminder of everything that went wrong. The lyrics reference how hard it is to delete videos of them, and although she deleted their playlists, the melodies still haunt her. Her home became a larger manifestation of these things that she can’t escape.
Rapp’s co-star and creative director for the music video, Alyah Scott, revealed that the inspiration for the music video came from watching Reneé go through this break-up and she began reflecting on how “love with men can so often make us act out of character in ways that make us feel like feminism has been set back 50 years.”
The video begins with a man on the radio saying things like, “women are just impossible to control these days” and “whatever happened to stay in the kitchen,” and slowly dissolves into this psychotic breakdown where she relives her highs and lows with a man who isn’t there. She’s slow dancing by herself in the living room, she’s cuddling on the floor, she’s setting up a table for two and sitting alone.
Photo Credit: Myxnii White
Not only is the video brilliant and proves that Reneé Rapp could dominate any industry she wants to with her stunning performance and evocative acting, but it makes clear the underlying notes of patriarchy in her song.
She’s dressed up as a 1950s housewife who is completing chores and singing lines like, “could have at least show me some decency, done me a favor and packed up your clothes.” She’s strategically nodding to the bare-minimum expectations for men in relationships and the tendency for women to become mother-like figures who take on far more responsibilities.
“The song lives in a specific place of a breakup—It’s not anger or longing… it’s that ‘got it’ phase, which for me is the most insane part like you feel nothing and absolutely everything all at once,” Rapp said.
”In the Kitchen,” tells an intricate narrative about heartbreak that deserves a spot on everyone’s breakup playlists. Stream this song, and look out for the acoustic version of the song that will be available soon.