On Oct. 25, social media star Addison Rae released her newest single, “Aquamarine.” The single was met with praise online, with people commenting on the star potential of Rae as a pop artist. The singer has not always received praise, rather, Rae received significant criticism online with the release of her first song “Obsessed” in 2023. Before the release of “Obsessed,” she was known for being a social media influencer, getting her start on TikTok with her dancing videos amassing over 88 million followers.
When she released “Obsessed” her music career was perceived as disingenuous and a cash grab. Due to the hate received after the release of “Obsessed,” Rae’s music career took a pause, however, she continued to be active on TikTok with her lip-syncing and dancing videos. However, when leaked snippets of songs from her unreleased EP circulated on TikTok, Rae accumulated a small dedicated group of fans who wanted to hear more of her music.
Their demands culminated in the release of Rae’s debut EP entitled “AR” on Aug. 18, 2023. Her EP had five tracks including her debut single “Obsessed.” The EP had a track featuring well-established electronic-pop artist Charli XCX entitled “2 die 4,” as well as “Nothing On (But The Radio),” a previously unreleased Lady Gaga song.
Rae received mixed reviews after the release of her EP but notably was met with comparisons to early Britney Spears and Lady Gaga. However, it was unsure where the social media star would go next with her career following the release of “AR.” Rae had already taken a step back from TikTok and social media in general. Around that time, she also launched a rebrand that emphasized fashion and aesthetics.
This rebrand channeled discussion within the pop culture community as people wondered if Rae had the potential to make it in the music industry and cement herself as a pop princess. This question sparked debate and discourse online as people found it difficult to envision a “TikTok dancer” as a pop star especially when Rae only had released five songs.
Interest began to fade in her music career, as it seemed there was no promise of new music. However, Rae reappeared in the industry with the help of her good friend Charli XCX with the “Von dutch a.g. cook remix featuring addison rae.” This remix reignited people’s excitement for a possible music career for Rae.
The singer showed potential and lived up to this potential a few months later with the release of “Diet Pepsi.” The single was released on streaming platforms on Aug. 9, 2024, in addition to a music video being released on YouTube. The song immediately received praise, with listeners noting the difference between the single and her previously released EP.
“Diet Pepsi” was risky and broke the traditional pop mold, which listeners thought Rae adhered strongly to in her debut EP. According to listeners, “Diet Pepsi” had elements comparable to early Lana Del Rey and Madonna. The song was not only a critical success, but it also was successful on streaming. The song took off on TikTok which then translated to streaming numbers. The song currently has 134 million streams on Spotify.
With the success of “Diet Pepsi,” Rae began to tease her next song, “Aquamarine.” People questioned if she could continue to grow in her artistic vision in her newest track, but Rae again proved successful with the release of “Aquamarine.” Once released, the song received praise from listeners, who are excited for what is next in Rae’s music career.
As an admitted Addison Rae fan since “Obsessed,” I see so much potential in her to cement herself as a pop princess in the music industry. Some people attribute Rae’s newfound success in the music industry to her “rebrand,” but I think the new sound is less of a product of a rebrand and simply an exploration of her identity that was not seen through her TikToks.
I wish only success for Rae in her pursuit of pop perfection and I will continue to stream “Diet Pepsi” and “Aquamarine,” as well as remind everyone that I was an Addison Rae fan before “Diet Pepsi!”