SNOW HARD FEELINGS TOUR 2023
PHOTOS TAKEN AND REVIEW WRITTEN BY TAYLOR KNAUF
It was a night of Gen Z pop perfection when Reneé Rapp brought her Snow Hard Feelings tour to Arizona Financial Theatre in Phoenix with Alexander 23 and Towa Bird. The venue was full of happy fans but not quite packed — fellow pop act Maisie Peters was playing just down the street.
Social media breakout star Towa Bird, who Reneé Rapp called a “true rock star” later in the show, kicked things off with a quick set that showcased her guitar prowess. She counts Jimi Hendrix and 2000s emo among her influences, and she’s using this tour to build her live show and let her music come alive.
As more fans trickled into the theater, Alexander 23 and his live band immediately charmed the audience with his playful stage presence, fun songs, and boyish good looks. The girls swooned and cheered for every song, from the opener “The Hardest Part” to the cover of One Direction’s “Steal My Girl” which really resonated with the sparse millennials in attendance.
The buzzing excitement building throughout the evening peaked when a montage of home videos played on screen, illuminating the elaborate stage setup of hills and flowers. It was a brief foray into Reneé Rapp’s childhood before the star herself emerged on stage and launched into “Talk Too Much” and “Poison Poison.” These opening songs were the first of the Spring portion of her performance, which spanned 16 songs and went through each season before closing out Winter with “Snow Angel.”
As an artist who arguably built her fanbase on TikTok, Rapp is already comfortable in front of an audience and seems to have zero inhibitions — a refreshing update on the too-cool personas in the industry before her. She was comfortable enough to admit she “really hates” her song “Too Well,” and to really play up her lyrics from “Tummy Hurts” that go, “I just want some recognition for having good tits and a big heart.”
Reneé Rapp’s stardom is on the rise, helping to usher in a new generation of pop. Skeptical? The proof is all over TikTok.
RENEE RAPP
ALEXANDER23
