Nwanne Eke ’26
Viewpoints Editor
If you had told me in 2020, during the height of TikTok and the infamous influencer Hype House, that I would be streaming Addison Rae’s music five years later, I would have laughed in your face. Time and time again, influencers have tried to break into the larger entertainment industry by releasing music and auditioning for large-screen roles. These attempts are largely unsuccessful due to the lack of actual talent most of these individuals possess. Unfortunately, being able to memorize a 15-second dance or make a one-minute point of view doesn’t mean you have the talent necessary to be on a screen larger than my phone.
Like many other influencers, Addison Rae Easterling, better known as Addison Rae, perhaps realized the volatile nature of influencing and decided to pursue one of her true passions: music — though it’s a bit funny how every influencer has had the dream of singing or rapping “since childhood.” Releasing her debut single “Obsessed” in 2021, Addison was immediately subject to criticism, with the song quickly falling under the category of “influencer flop songs.”
Her next major solo release came in 2024 with “Diet Pepsi.” Due to my own apprehension after hearing “Obsessed”, I clicked on the track with fear in my heart, only to be pleasantly surprised. The sultry synth and whispered lyrics remind listeners of the pop classics of the early 2000s and 2010s.
When discussing her self-titled album, Beyoncé once said, “People don’t make albums anymore.” This sentiment was a critique on the music industry’s desire to push out single after single to gain quick success over releasing cohesive, full-length albums. Surprisingly, Addison manages not to fall victim to this; each of her five single releases is distributed throughout the album, encouraging listeners to listen from top to bottom and take in the story being told.
Opening with the track “New York”, Addison sets the tone for the rest of the album. Whispered lyrics and strategic caesura draw listeners in as the song builds up to a sprint before its sudden end, transitioning to the first of her singles, “Diet Pepsi”. The album continues with songs like “Money is Everything”, “Aquamarine” and “High Fashion”, embracing themes of escapism and youthful hope. It then slows down and gets more introspective with the tracks “Summer Forever” and “In the Rain”, where the stripped-back production helps add to the metaphor of vulnerability in private. Bringing the energy back with its pulsating synth line, Rae’s ninth track, “Fame Is a Gun”, uses its bright, high-pitched chorus as a juxtaposition to its deadpan verses about the addictive yet destructive nature of fame. “Times Like These” continues this sentiment with Rae learning to cope with the newfound state of her life. The final track on the album, “Headphones On”, bears a floaty, nostalgic quality that makes listeners feel a sense of acceptance. Life comes with ups and downs, and the beauty of it is finding peace and acceptance in the midst of these struggles.
“Addison” is an excellent pop debut studio album with clear house, synth pop and dance influences. Having gone five for five with her singles, Addison Rae makes a bold entry into the pop world. Entirely female-produced, the album draws on inspiration from female pop legends such as Madonna, Y2K icons like Britney Spears and contemporary electropop figureheads like Charli XCX. Despite this, Addison Rae can curate her own unique sound, bringing listeners on a journey of self-discovery with girlish desires for fun and acceptance of oneself and others.