The eponymous debut album earns Addison a seat at the pop table

When Addison Rae first announced her foray into pop music, one could be forgiven for wielding a slight scepticism. A former inhabitant of TikTok’s Hype House, Addison was synonymous with the platform’s 2020 popularity boom, known for her quirky and expressive dances. A rebrand from social media personality to pop star is by no means a traditional route – and yet, her career pivot is one of those things that just makes sense upon first listening to “Addison”.

Addison has remained consistently open about her musical influences, which are instantaneously recognisable throughout the 33 minute album. Opening with “New York”, the pulsating kick and snare drums, coupled with an atmospheric layering, are instantly reminiscent of Charli XCX’s Brat. “Aquamarine”, a shimmering, 80s-evocative track filled with sensuality and mystery, draws upon Madonna’s haunting, spiritual dance and synth-pop. The yearning, dreamy “Summer Forever” taps into pop culture-coined “Lanacore”, with a breathless chorus, wistfully echoing adlibs, and lyrics that transport the listener to a SoCal sunset beach with their lover (“I love you so bad”). 

It’s worth noting that Addison has remained insistent that her creative process was fuelled by personal emotions and self-expression, rather than direct influence. A deeper dive into some of the more personal lyrics across the album will reinforce this – the randomly inserted “Wish my mom and dad could have been in love” in “Headphones On” comes as an intrusive thought, one Addison drops without much thought, before moving on.  Addison is also uniquely tapped into what today’s album listeners want – perhaps a nod to her hugely successful influencer career. Releasing a series of accompanying music videos for her singles, each filled with more grandeur, choreography and daring outfits than the last, Addison has heard the cries of “We want visuals” (and delivered). An honourable mention belongs to the “High Fashion” music video, which sees Addison pivot through a series of delightfully eccentric, boldly clashing, and strangely stunning outfits, paired with strings of pearls and messy bold lipsticks. 

The album provides a hyper-feminine experience, saturated with shimmering pop-perfection beats, influence from the female greats of generations past and present, and loaded with positive self-affirmations (“Every good thing comes my way”). It might come as little surprise, then, to learn that the album was produced by an entirely-female team – Addison herself, Luka Kloser and Elvira. In an industry dominated by male producers, it’s a refreshing change to hear the product of a solely female-led creative endeavour.

“Addison” is the north star of successful rebrands. A former TikTok star has successfully navigated her way into pop music, and we can only hope she’s here to stay. Drawing upon all the best elements of pop femme fatales over multiple generations, whilst still managing to retain her own unique spin and introduce an exciting breath of fresh air, Addison Rae has successfully challenged the status quo. One thing is certain – she has carved a name for herself with this glittering debut, and it is fully, wholeheartedly deserved. What next?