rence

The Mature Youth of Rence

Photos: Marlowe Teichman Words: Connor Barnes

There is just something fresh about Rence. At Chicago’s iconic music festival Lollapalooza, Beyond the Stage got the chance to chat with him. The young artist surprised his audience with an unannounced performance of the theme song to Disney’s animated series Phineas and Ferb during his set. It only took milliseconds after Rence sang the intro lyrics “There are 104 days of summer vacation” until the crowd caught on. The audience, made up of primarily twenty-somethings, many of which were at their first live show since the beginning of a pandemic where lives had been regressed or entirely put on hold, this song is an ode to simpler, younger days. Youth, to a certain degree, is Rence’s brand. After scrolling through Rence’s various social media channels, it’s clear that the singer possesses an air of eagerness and excitement which resembles child-like wonder.

As seen with his Phineas & Ferb performance, he isn’t afraid of leaning into his youth. Instead, he uses it to his advantage. Being young and in the know of current trends gives him seamless control over his socials, the main form for any artist to interact with fans. Compared to other, usually older celebrities whose content suffers from over-production, Rence manages to transfer authenticity through the screen, only heightening his likeability. But perhaps Rence’s most compelling feature, ironically, is that he isn’t childish. There’s a developed maturity underneath his outer child, and his ability to live as the two — he child and the adult — is where his success lies.

Rence’s journey to his current hybrid self began in Seattle, Washington, where he was born. Roughly 18 years later, when it was time for college, he packed up and ventured east to New York University. On his college experience, Rence says, “It was definitely crazy. I was at NYU at the time trying to finish school as quickly as possible without dropping out, which I did.” After graduating, Rence found himself in a position that most straight-out-of-college kids only dream of: signing to a major record label. Rence signed to Epic Records, whose lineup of heavyhitting artists includes Camila Cabello, Travis Scott, Jennifer Hudson and past BTS cover star AJ Mitchell.

After Rence signed and moved to Los Angeles, he found himself in an identity crisis. “I was certainly grateful [for moving to LA], but it was certainly a whirlwind trying to get my feet underneath me and be who I wanted myself to be, also who a lot of other people wanted me to be.”

Rence should not be mistaken for a Peter Pan type of boy. He is not someone who refuses to get older. As a person, his excited presence leaves room for surprise. Like how no one is quite sure what to expect to come out of a child’s mouth, no one is quite sure what to expect from the Washington-native. Take another of his TikTok videos where he goes up to strangers and asks them to listen to his music cold. However, Rence is not only fun and games. What makes Rence a fascinating individual is even with his head in the clouds, there’s still ground underneath his feet. Beneath the fun-loving exterior, there lies an extremely emotional, raw soul. Sometimes, a double-take is needed. Did the boy, with an affinity towards the color purple and White Claw, really just sing “Type 2” or “Expensive” or his newest single “AWOOO”?

For those unfamiliar with Rence’s sound, his music focuses primarily on love and loss. He fits snuggly within the realm of his influences John Mayer and Harry Styles. As aforementioned, Rence hosts an impressive discography of gut-wrenching tunes. The song “Type 2”, Rence says, is basically the exploration of the result I got from [the ENNEAGRAM test] and trying to learn what that meant for me. And what it meant was I was spending a lot of time listening and not a lot of time prioritizing myself in relationships and situations.” For those unfamiliar, the ENNEAGRAM test essentially describes the type of person someone is (there’s an ENNEAGRAM test offered on Rence’s website for anyone interested). “Type 2” demonstrates a vulnerability within Rence. Obviously, he’s a person who cares deeply for others once his other music is listened to.

His newest song, “AWOOO,” encapsulates the LA artist. This song, for him, was “the hardest and easiest” to write. He said, “It ripped me apart to write it because of the subject matter. It was very sad at the time, and I was writing to get those emotions out basically about a relationship that had ended. But, because of the love I had for that person, and still do, it turned into a love song rather than a breakup song.” Even at the lowest of points, Rence demonstrates a high level of emotional intelligence. It’s too easy to give in to negativity, but Rence never surrenders. He can’t. That’s not who he is.

Perhaps Rence’s Type 2 tendencies, however, are best displayed when he talks about his fans. He is not shy about saying that he owes all his success to them. “I think my message to my fans after this past crazy year and a half is to remember that you’re not alone. I was at Miley [Cyrus’] set two nights ago, [Rence’s song “Expensive” features Miley’s sister Noah Cyrus], and one thing she said that really resonated was, without fans, the artists are nothing. Without playing to people that you know, absorb and bring the music into their lives, we really have nothing. So, I am indebted to my fans and will always be there to support them.”

Rence, who’s currently at an age between childhood and adulthood, chooses to be both. His enthusiasm for his craft and his fans alongside his expert navigation of social media uses his youth for his advantage, but his heartfelt lyrics and mature sound make him more than just a boy. Everything he does, he does for other people, which promotes an important message. Maturity is not defined by interests or even age. To be grown is to think of other people before thinking about yourself. For Rence, as seen through his music, all he ever thinks about are other people.