Addison Rae’s Debut Album Is a Shiny, Curated Fantasy

There’s a line on Addison Rae’s debut album that sums up the whole thing in five syllables: “Fame is a gun.” It’s delivered like a threat, or maybe a tease, depending on how you choose to hear her. That ambiguity between sincerity and spectacle, between identity and performance, is where Rae’s first full-length project lives. Addison isn’t trying to be raw or gritty. It’s not interested in winning over skeptics. What it offers instead is something cleaner, more deliberate: a pop record that knows exactly what it is.

The twelve-track album, released June 6, doesn’t feel like a debut in the traditional sense. It’s too polished for that, too well-produced. Credit for that goes to Elvira Anderfjärd and Luka Kloser, who build a tightly wound soundscape of early-2000s pop references, but it’s also a reflection of Rae’s specific cultural upbringing, one shaped by the internet, by hyper-visibility required of girls who became famous in the age of the algorithm.

Addison Rae has been famous for a while now, depending on how you define it. First came TikTok in 2019, where her dance videos quickly pushed her to the top of the platform’s food chain. Brand deals, red carpets, and a Netflix rom-com remake followed. So did criticism. As with many creators who pivot to music, the reaction was mixed: Was she a singer, or just someone who got a record deal for being really good at internet eye contact?

To her credit, Rae didn’t rush into a full project. After the release of her 2021 single “Obsessed,” she stepped back, quietly recording, collaborating, and collecting influences. The leak of a few unreleased tracks in 2023 sparked interest. Fans and even some critics started to reconsider her, there was a vision there.

Addison is a high-gloss pop debut, pulling from the glittery confidence of Kylie Minogue, the daydreaming of Lana Del Rey, and the edge of early Charli XCX. That last reference isn’t just coincidence — Charli has become something of a godmother figure to Addison Rae in pop’s current landscape. Their relationship entered the public eye when Rae featured on Charli’s “Von Dutch,” the breakout single from Brat, one of 2024’s most talked-about albums. Rae later joined Charli onstage at Coachella Weekend 2. Her major-label debut single, “Diet Pepsi,” released under Columbia Records, entered the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 86 and since then, Rae has followed it up with tracks like “Aquamarine,” “High Fashion,” and “Headphones On”.

The album does get tiring after a little bit. Even though it’s only 33 minutes long, the songs can feel predictable, repetitive, and at times uninspired. However, here and there, you can find a fun track you are willing to revisit later. There’s no attempt here to sell relatability. And that might be the smartest move Rae makes. In an era where everyone is competing to be the most vulnerable, Addison reminds us that pop, especially girl pop, doesn’t have to bleed to be real. Sometimes it’s just about being delusional, building a persona and having fun with it. If there’s a flaw in the album, it’s that it rarely breaks its own spell. The pacing is tight, but it leaves little space to breathe. Still, for a debut, that discipline is impressive, a well constructed fantasy. Photo Source: Ethan James Green via Variety

Ranking my favorite tracks:

1. Headphones On
2. Aquamarine
3. Fame Is a Gun
4. Money Is Everything
5. Times Like These
6. Summer Forever
7. Diet Pepsi
8. High Fashion
9. In the Rain
10. New York
11. Life’s No Fun Through Clear Waters
12. Lost & Found