When I first heard the remix of Charli XCX’s pop hit “Von Dutch,” I had no idea that it was Addison Rae’s perfect ad-libbed scream that has since become iconic on TikTok. Eventually I saw Charli’s TikTok where she revealed the behind the scenes footage and teased the release of the collaboration. To many Gen Zers, the name Addison Rae brings back memories of the Hype House on TikTok, during which many young, wealthy influencers took over the internet with dancing videos. Throughout her time as an influencer, Rae has had many a video go viral, had a song written about her, and been the face of some iconic Internet memes. Now she is making the jump from TikTok dancer to rising hyper-pop star.
Some rebrands work better than others. Currently, there is a wave of influencers and child stars making big changes in the direction that they want to take their career in. Rae is a great example, but there are others, like JoJo Siwa working on shifting her public perception as she enters a new era without the bows and glitter. The world is witnessing Sabrina Carpenter become a main pop girlie after Disney Channel fame. It’s always a bit of a risk on these celebrities’ end as far as how that switch-up will be perceived by audiences, both old and new.
In Rae’s case, she has found her new niche and it is working amazingly. There were certainly some ups and downs – she dabbled in acting in 2021 as the star of He’s All That, a spinoff of the classic romcom She’s All That. While the movie blew up on social media and many of Rae’s fans seemed to love it, the general public’s response did not seem to be all that enthusiastic about her performance, and her opportunity to rebrand from influencer to actress seemed to slip away as more and more time went on without Addison pursuing many roles, aside from the release of horror film Thanksgiving. As she moves into the music industry, however, things seem to be working out well for her! There are many paparazzi photos of her floating around that demonstrate how she has come into her own unique style, a complete 180 from the clothes she was wearing when she first gained popularity on TikTok. When she first blew up, she tended to stick to the most basic, casual trends of the time. Now, she appears to be experimenting with unique and vintage pieces that appear a lot less mainstream and are not necessarily trending. Not only can she sing, but she has it in her to become a fashion icon.
Rae’s singing is not to be outshined by her style evolution. She released a 5 song EP titled “AR” last summer. This release featured a collaboration with Charli XCX on the track “2 die 4.” Some may also remember when Rae first stepped foot into the music world with her 2021 single “Obsessed.” While some listeners, especially on TikTok, felt at the time that her debut single was not all that impressive, it is clear now that it was simply a stepping stone for her. The messaging and style of “Obsessed” is heavily in line with the direction that Rae appears to be taking with her music. Her new release with Charli XCX, however, is truly the icing on the cake. She went into that studio with a mission and did not miss. How did she know to deliver that unhinged scream at exactly the right moment, and somehow manage to execute it perfectly? The world may never know.
All of this content with Charli XCX leaves many on social media wondering if Rae could be teasing new music, and a lot of people are excited to see where this new era will go . It was certainly a feat to completely rebrand her entire style and career focus, and I have to say I am so happy that after working on everything from influencing to acting, it seems that Rae has found what she is truly meant to be doing, which is making music and sharing it with the world.