RENAE, Rebels With a Cause (Aries) Review

RENAE (aka Cristi Renae Vaughan) is a Conscious-Pop vocalist and songwriter. Joined by her production partner and husband Matt Naylor, the two have a broad songwriting experience. Together they have worked with some of the world’s most influential artists, including Meghan Trainor, 5 Seconds of Summer, Julia Michaels, Troye Sivan, and Morgxn, to name just a few. Beyond their illustrious list of credits with other artists, the duo has penned thousands of TV/Film & trailer placements including Kingsman: The Golden Circle, Gone Girl, Lincoln, X-Men, Portlandia, Bad Times at the El Royale and Holly Hobbie. After many years of creating songs for pop stars and box-office hit films, Vaughan and Naylor are now channeling their songwriting skills through their mission to raise consciousness through RENAE. SIGNS is RENAE’s latest project and is the first-ever pop album based on the Zodiac. This is a cosmic pop journey of 12 songs, one for each astrological sign with each song being released each month. Vaughan explains, “I wanted to create an album that acts as a year-long, experiential soundtrack to a listener’s personal growth — one that brings us into harmony with our true selves, each other, and the cosmos. Astrology has always been a huge inspiration and guide in my own life; I feel deeply called to share this astrological wisdom through music.”

 Positives:  Set to a well-mixed and produced groove, Vaughan sings with power and conviction. The music has a cause, and it can be heard and felt.

 Bottom Line: “Rebels With a Cause (Aries),” is the current song being released during RENAE’s monthly song release schedule throughout 2020. Each song is released with its corresponding Zodiac season, starting with the first sign of the astrological calendar, Aries, on March 21st. “Rebels With a Cause (Aries)” is representative of the astrological sign Aries. March 21st-April 19th is Aries season, and whether you have Aries in your birth chart or not, every person is influenced by the energy of Aries. Aries energy represents courage, bravery, and new beginnings. We all have the power to align with the energy of Aries and become champions of light through the darkness. “Rebels With a Cause (Aries)” has insightful lyrics, compelling pop melodies, a solid song form, and cinematic music production. Vaughan’s vocal style is deeply rooted in the pop genre. Hip guitars add to the song as the journey continues. The female and male vocal harmonies add interest. The bridge has interesting vocal counterpoint. RENAE is on to something special, today we need music that heals now more than ever! That’s the short of it!

Connect with RENAE: Website |

Stream the ‘Signs’ album HERE.