The world of pop has gained a significant following lately. To join the new wave, on June 6, 2025, Addison Rae released her debut pop album, “Addison.” Known best for her online presence, Rae first started posting dance videos on TikTok and quickly became a viral influencer in 2019. Now, she has pulled a full 180, trying to reinvent herself as a global pop star.
At the beginning of her career, Rae was considered one of the “it girls” of TikTok, being one of the original members of the then-popular content house, The Hype House. Between 2019 and 2021, she was known solely as an influencer and content creator. From there, she transitioned into acting, starring in the movies “He’s All That” and “Thanksgiving.” And now, she’s moved into the music realm.
In an article with Rolling Stone, Author Brittany Spanos said, “TikTok celebrity was never the end goal. Since childhood, Rae has had superstar ambitions.” After officially launching her transition to music, she received backlash from both fans and non-fans, but according to Rae, crossing over was always the plan.
Recently, in an interview with The New York Times’ music podcast “Popcast,” Rae shared that early in her career, she told her managers she had plans to be a star. Rae wanted to make music, act and dance, and they were surprised that she didn’t want to make dancing and lip-synching videos online for the rest of her career. She was determined to work toward something bigger. “They put me in a lot of rooms that I was lucky to be in at that time,” Rae said. “People were really curious through all realms of entertainment.”
Her music is described by Jon Caramanica of The New York Times as “mostly up-tempo, but in a cool, controlled manner, and the production features frequent little interruptions, places where the songs switch intensities and textures.” Her debut single, “Obsessed,” varies from her recent releases, falling less into the Charli XCX synth and auto-tune qualities, and more into mainstream radio-like pop. Despite the initial backlash it received, Rae has said that she still loves the song. She didn’t stop there and is now considered by many to be a true pop star, both in image and skill.
Her new album “Addison” is a collection of fun and cool summer-time songs, the stand-out songs being “Fame is a Gun,” “Aquamarine,” “Diet Pepsi” and “Headphones On.”
“Fame is a Gun” begins with Charli XCX-esque synth and auto-tune voice effects. With immediate catchy verses, the song booms into an immersive chorus, creating seamless transitions between all parts of the song. “Aquamarine” is similar with the breathy vocals and the synth instrumentals.
“Diet Pepsi” was the first single off this album to be released. This was the song that began to spark people’s interests, since it differed from her previous single “Obsessed.” This song follows the trend of her soft vocals, and while the beat is basic, it is quite catchy. In an article by Pitchfork, “Diet Pepsi” is compared to “early Lana in the star-spangled coquetry of its parking lot romance.”
“Headphones On” is the last track on the album, as well as one of the most popular. The lyrics by themselves aren’t much, but the delivery and mixing of the vocals are what make this song stand out. The bridge section makes this track well-rounded, and the outro makes for a perfect finish to the album as a whole.
While Rae has had quite the journey in terms of her online persona, there is no doubt that her name is in the mix for up-and-coming pop artists. Her songs share similar qualities, but her debut album is nothing short of impressive. Now, as she continues her pop-star journey, many wonder, what will she do next?
