Addison is a Rae of light in her Debut

The former TikTok star has outlived legendary ‘moments’ in her time as a rising public figure. I mean, from not knowing Korean’s are Asian, to waving hello to “Drated” after a remark was made about her being hyrdated. She is the first from her Hype House roots to successfully (re)launch their debut music career. I mean… we all saw how Dixie D’Amelio went…

Addison’s ability to pivot, experiment, and have a drive to achieve her dreams is what makes this project, but most of all, herself, so successful.

I’m structuring this article in chronological order of the project rollout. With bits in between that I hope will enlighten you to the depth and artistry Addison has only just begun to show us. And of course I will give my arguments as to why it is my Album of the Year as I examine her Grammy chances & campaign.

I’m writing this post as the album has been out for about 6 months. However, the campaign started just over a year ago. Diet Pepsi, the breakthrough single for her debut project, shocked those within the pop culture community. In contrast to her previous tracks Obsessed and debut EP; AR the sound was completely new to us. Channeling a Lana-esque voice and lyric style with hard tones, but airy vocals— Addison finally has found her voice.

To truly understand the origins of Diet Pepsi and its subsequent developments, we must examine how it reached that point, as well as the pivotal moments in its journey that contribute to the project's success. As I previously mentioned, Addison is a child of TikTok, one of the founding pillars, in my opinion, and it has defined her journey to this point. In recent interviews, we explored how choosing music for dance videos influenced her creative choices and expanded her musical interests. But while that is all happening internally, externally, her brand is becoming something more. In the height of COVID, she had established a kingdom, one that spawned podcasts, a Snapchat show, and even a make-up line (we don’t talk about her!) At the core of all this, Addison built influence and recognition; even throughout her “scandals,” they influenced and continue to remain staples in her identity.

The most admirable thing about all of this is that she took a step back, recognizing what she had created and pushed for in pursuit of her dreams. In most interviews, you can learn one core thing: Addison always dreamed of being a star. Whether she was dancing at the studio or putting on a concert in her living room, it's clear she was made for the attention. Now that she had this recognition, she knew it could open doors to the dreams she had always had: acting and singing.

Her breakout role in Netflix’s terrible remake of He’s All That was a total flop. Which, in retrospect, to her music career sadly concluded with a cover of Firework sung by Rae herself. That’s okay, we will take a step back from that for a bit, pivot! Just before this, we get to see Rae’s first dip in the water with the release of her debut song Obsessed. The punky dance track didn’t perform well, needless to say… it was met with much criticism, and some of it was valid. It was not the greatest song; maybe an earworm with some of its lyrics, my personal favorite “I did my hair like waves on the beach".” Needless to say, there is room for improvement. I, for one, was one of the avid stans of the songs; I still remember dancing to the song on repeat in the shower at home the day it came out. I could tell she had something, but just wasn’t there yet.

Addison took a 2-year break between her next acting and music releases. She would come to Playa. Supporting role in the semi-good Thanksgiving thriller. But her acting isn't what takes center stage during this time. During this "hiatus,” though, dozens upon dozens of leaked demos from Addison’s studio sessions went viral on the internet. Twitter threads and TikToks filled feeds in the winter and spring of 2023. The public perception was incredible; Addison had finally found a niche in music where the perception was unexpectedly significant and positive. It wasn't long before Addison released a short EP with refined versions of several demos. One of which was initially offered to Lady
Gaga at one point (an idol of Addison because duh.)

Charli XCX also reached out to Addison about the leaks, being as she can relate, but also because she wanted to sing a verse on her demo “2 die 4.” The sexy hyperpop track is one of the standouts on the project, and also marks a point in where the pair b come close. Charli would continue to work with Addison. Mentoring and even inviting her on the track that gave her the title of “the scream heard around the world.” The Von-Dutch Remix still stands as a pillar in the Brat era and as the first remixed track, but also for the fuel it gave to Addison’s future stardom. It didn’t take long for many to start putting the sound over their own screams; a moment of relation to a growing fanbase.

It would be another year until Addison released her next project; that’s where we come back to the beginning again: Diet Pepsi.

Earlier that summer, she teased what would formally be known as the dreamy track Aquamarine with a short clip of her walking under water in a pool.

But anyways, Diet Pepsi