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Up until last week, I can safely say I felt 100% apathetic towards Addison Rae.
I’d clocked her career peripherally, mostly thinking of her as the TikTok girlie who was for some unknown reason a Kardashian for a while and somehow scored Met Gala invites.
However, a few months ago when mega-star Charli XCX released a remix of her song ‘Von Dutch’ featuring Addison, my interest was piqued. Charli has collaborated with some of the music industry’s biggest artists, so what was she doing in the studio with Addison?
Fast-forward to last Friday, when the 23-year-old Louisiana native released her single, ‘Diet Pepsi’, a certified banger in my opinion, and it all clicked for me: Addison Rae might just be our next big pop girlie.
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I didn’t see it coming, but then again, I hadn’t been paying attention.
Turns out, Addison’s metamorphosis from TikTok dancer to IT girl has been a fascination of the internet, with YouTubers, TikTokers and Redditors obsessed with the evolution of her brand. Addison, however, sees her growth as far more organic. “The most underrated thing about me is my ability to evolve and transform. People like to say, ‘Her PR team is working overtime on the rebrand.’ And I’m like, ‘Girl, nobody’s rebranding. This is me’,” she told Interview magazine in June.
Regardless of whether or not this has been manufactured, the world has noticed the star coming into a more confident, adult version of herself; seemingly shedding her bubblegum image and developing a unique presence absolutely adored by her own generation.
As for her foray into the music scene, she might just have queen brat Charli to thank for adding to her legitimacy. Back in March, Charli took to socials to share behind-the-scenes footage in the studio with Addison, posting a clip of herself dancing along to Addison ad-libbing a high pitched scream in the recording booth.
@charlixcx the scream!! @Addison Rae @A. G. Cook ♬ The von dutch remix w addison rae and a. g. cook – Charli XCX
The video went viral, and the ‘Von Dutch’ remix was a hit (although let’s face it, has anything Charli touched been anything less than?). Charli went on to praise Addison’s work ethic and “eloquent” songwriting skills in an interview with Jake Shane in May, and brought her out on stage in June to perform the remix (including the scream) during one of the first performances of her hugely successful Brat album.
‘Diet Pepsi’ isn’t Addison’s first attempt at pop music, in fact she worked with Charli on a track for her debut EP AR in 2023, and while it was well received by fans, it failed to penetrate the mainstream. Unfortunately, her debut single ‘Obsessed’, released in 2021, was critically panned. But with ‘Diet Pepsi’, Addison’s sound has matured, and if this is a taste of what’s to come, I’m almost certain this is a career turning-point.
Let’s talk about the song, and the accompanying music video.
“When we drive in your car I’m your baby, losing all my innocence in the backseat”, Addison sings in what could be one of the hookiest choruses I’ve heard all year. The dreaminess of the track, oozing sexuality and simplicity, is reminiscent of Lana Del Rey’s iconic Born To Die album, and don’t EVEN get me started on the key change (normalise a song going down rather than up).
The video expertly matches the vibe of the song; a black and white, cinematic, Americana road trip interspersed with images of Addison dancing freely, that switches seamlessly to colour once Addison has opened her Diet Pepsi can towards the song’s climax. Addison’s ability to blend sultry with sweetness reminds me so much of a young Britney, and yet she does so with the edginess of her 2024 pop contemporaries.
Talking with Vogue, Addison and Interview magazine editor Mel Ottenberg, who was the creative director of the video, discussed the concept of “Addisoncore”.
“There’s a certain kind of chill vibe that Addison is giving off. That, to me, is Addisoncore. Addisoncore is very healthy, fun, and energetic,” Mel explained.
Reminiscing on meeting Addison, he added: “As soon as we were working with her, I realised she gets it beyond what I thought and I was instantly impressed by how hardworking and [professional] she is but also her coolness and messiness. There’s a lot that is hyper-produced, and this person was leaving me guessing and I wanted to know more.”
“That is also Addisoncore! That’s the ethos of Addisoncore: Dig deeper,” Addison exclaimed.
I can safely say that my millennial ass will no longer be sleeping on Addison Rae, and in an already huge year for women in pop, I’m officially excited for Addison to leave me guessing and wanting more.
Written by Lil Friedmann, who’s cracking a Diet Pepsi as you read. You can follow her at @lilfriedmann on socials.
Image credit: @addisonrae Instagram + Punkee
