Pop powerhouse Reneé Rapp made her highly anticipated Austin City Limits debut at ACL Live at the Moody Theater, delivering a performance that was as vulnerable as it was unapologetic. Taped amid her headlining Bite Me Tour, the show found Rapp pairing her powerhouse vocals with the quick wit, blunt honesty and magnetic personality that have made her one of pop music’s most compelling young stars.

The performance arrived just months after the release of Rapp’s sophomore album, Bite Me. The project marked a louder, bolder chapter for the singer-songwriter, trading some of the polished restraint of her debut album, Snow Angel, for sharp-edged pop-rock, biting humor and songs that refuse to soften their emotions. That evolution translated seamlessly to the ACL stage, where Rapp could move from playful kiss-off anthems to devastating ballads without ever losing the room.

Opening with “Leave Me Alone,” Rapp immediately established the attitude that would define the night. Much of the set highlighted her newest material, including “Kiss It Kiss It,” “Mad,” “Why Is She Still Here?,” “That’s So Funny” and “Good Girl.” But the performance also made room for earlier fan favorites such as “Poison Poison,” “Tummy Hurts,” “Pretty Girls” and “In the Kitchen.”

Rapp’s Broadway background remained evident throughout the taping, not because the show felt overly rehearsed, but because she understands how to make every lyric land. Her expressive delivery brought theatrical weight to the heartbreak of “That’s So Funny” and “I Think I Like You Better When You’re Gone,” while her humor and candid exchanges with the crowd made the historic television stage feel unexpectedly intimate.

The evening reached its emotional peak with “Snow Angel,” the title track from Rapp’s 2023 debut album. Beginning with restraint before building into one of the most demanding vocal moments in her catalog, the song offered a striking reminder that beneath Rapp’s humor, swagger and unfiltered confidence is an exceptional vocalist capable of turning deeply personal pain into something communal.

Reneé Rapp’s first appearance on Austin City Limits was more than a showcase for her latest album. It was a convincing snapshot of an artist entering a fearless new phase of her career. Whether commanding the stage with the defiant “At Least I’m Hot” or standing nearly still and letting her voice carry the moment, Rapp proved she did not need elaborate choreography or spectacle to make an enormous impression.

Check out photos from Rapp’s unforgettable ACL debut and the evening’s complete setlist below.

Photos by Scott Newton, courtesy of Austin City Limits

ACL SETLIST

1. Leave Me Alone
2. Kiss It Kiss It
3. Poison Poison
4. Shy
5. Mad
6. Why Is She Still Here?
7. That’s So Funny
8. Sometimes
9. Good Girl
10. I Think I Like You Better When You’re Gone
11. Tummy Hurts
12. Pretty Girls
13. In the Kitchen
14. Snow Angel
15. At Least I’m Hot