A wise substitute teacher once said, “you’re not hardcore unless you live hardcore,” and actor and musician Rivkah Reyes clearly took that lesson to heart. Reyes, who played bassist Katie in the 2003 comedy School of Rock, has since become a real-life rockstar, recently releasing the hard-hitting, and hardcore, new single “Miss Congeniality.”

Borrowing its title, and a bit of lyrical inspiration, from the Y2K classic starring Sandra Bullock, the track, produced by frequent collaborator Blonder (Anna Shoemaker, Ryn Weaver), uses the metaphor of a beauty pageant to explore the pressure to make yourself more digestible, only to be left with the sting of coming in second place.

In the accompanying music video, co-directed by Reyes and Katie Colwell, edited by Jill Blutt, and filmed at OutBox, a queer and trans boxing gym in Bushwick, Reyes channels her inner Gracie Hart, Bullock’s character in the film. Robed in a hyper-feminine pink dress and sparkling tiara, she steps into the boxing ring to grapple with herself while challenging societal expectations of femininity.

On the latest episode of The Juice Box Sessions, we sat down with the New York City-based indie rock/pop musician and actor to discuss the new single, doing her own stage makeup, and what’s next.

Cover Art Photo By: Jon Del Real

Stay connected with Juice Box Press:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠https://www.instagram.com/thejuiceboxpress/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@thejuiceboxpress⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/thejuiceboxpress/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠https://www.pinterest.com/thejuiceboxpress/