Addison Rae is one of the first people to become a star using TikTok. The label ‘TikTok star’ is not one that you easily get rid of. Yet Rae, who now wants to be a pop star, is doing quite well.
The 24-year-old Rae, from the American state of Louisiana, has known from a young age; she wants to be famous. Her dance career at high school didn’t go so smoothly. That’s where the then-new social medium TikTok changed things about five years ago. Rae quickly manages to build up a group of loyal followers who like to watch her dance to the hits of the moment.
Rae is so successful that she drops out of her studies and moves to Los Angeles. Her parents follow her and also start TikTokking. Rae says she felt pressure at the time to provide for her family financially. “I took every sponsored video to make money and make this work,” she tells Elle. “That’s why I posted so many videos. I got one chance and took a risk. I would hate myself if I hadn’t done my best.”
No TikTok trend passes without Rae jumping on it. “I wasn’t afraid to make a fool of myself and make a million videos,” she tells Elle. “Looking back, I’m not ashamed of anything. I appreciate that girl who did everything to break through.” She manages to gather over 88 million followers with it. But Rae wants more than just making videos about her private life and dancing to other people’s songs. She wants to make her own music.
Addison Rae on the screen
Addison Rae is not only pursuing a pop career, but also acts. In 2021, she appeared in the romantic comedy He’s All That from Netflix. Two years later, she appeared in the horror film Thanksgiving. Later this year, she will be seen in Animal Friends with Ryan Reynolds and Aubrey Plaza.
From devastating reviews to hit success
Rae is releasing her debut album Addison today, but the road to that record was one with obstacles. She releases her first single Obsessed in 2021, which is heavily criticized by reviewers. “Obsessed does not cause a smile, but vicarious shame”, sneers Popdust. “It should come as no surprise that the first single from a TikTok star is about how obsessed she is with herself,” writes Entertainment Weekly.
The singer later says that the criticism hit her so raw that she almost decided to give up her music career immediately. To make matters worse, the songs from her first EP leak online prematurely. But as luck would have it, this attracts the attention of British pop star Charli xcx. She wants to collaborate on the song 2 Die 4. It is the beginning of more collaborations: Rae can be heard on the remix of Charli xcx’s Von Dutch and together with Troye Sivan she is on stage during the tour of the singer and Charli xcx.
Real hit success follows in the summer of 2024 when she releases her single Diet Pepsi. The song goes viral on, how could it be otherwise, TikTok and with almost 400 million streams is her biggest hit to date. Partly thanks to this song, she can also count artists such as Lana Del Rey and Lorde among her fans.
Addison Rae – Diet Pepsi
‘What should I do then? Not pursue my dreams?’
Follow-up singles such as Aquamarine and Headphones On are well received by reviewers, but the credibility of her pop career is still questioned online. During guest appearances at Coachella, her singing is heavily criticized.
“I recognize how lucky I have been with my success on TikTok and that I have therefore been given the freedom to realize my deepest desires,” she says about the criticism. “But what should I do then? Not pursue my dreams, because I haven’t studied enough for it? Or don’t have enough experience yet? That door has opened for me and I’m going inside to discover my music career.”