When we Gen Z think about the year 2020, we are reminded of the overflow of influencers that quickly became semi-household names during the COVID-19 pandemic. But as life moved on, new hyperfixations prevailed, and many wondered what would come of these micro-celebrities. Because their fame was centered around lip-synching and dancing, there was never an opportunity to learn who the mystical figures displayed on our screens were, leading to a feeling of indifference as they faded from the limelight.
To most of these figures, the cultural shift was a staggering blow to their careers as they subsequently failed to reestablish themselves. However, in the case of Addison Rae, she used this opportunity to create a new and exciting brand for herself: becoming a bona fide pop star.
As someone who hails from around the same area as Rae, I have always kept up with her career out of curiosity. After listening to her debut EP “AR” and her collaboration on the “Von Dutch a. g. Cook remix” with Charli XCX, I knew that she had an exciting future ahead. My hopes were confirmed when I sat down and indulged in her self-titled debut album. When listening to this record, I found myself in awe at its shimmery sounds, its pulsing beats, and its sultry singing. All of these qualities define the work of a woman who was finally able to properly introduce herself to the public eye after her image was previously decided for her.
Her bold transition into her current image was kick-started through the album’s lead single “Diet Pepsi” – a song whose similarities to Lana Del Rey allowed it to stand out among other releases of the same period. And through the following pre-release singles “Aquamarine,” “High Fashion,” “Headphones On” and “Fame is a Gun,” Rae was able to establish a consistent stream of ethereal-sounding songs that clearly differentiate from one another and evoke nostalgia from the 2000s that complements the works of legends like Britney Spears.
When pieced together with the rest of the album, what you get is a cohesive and solidly structured pop album that feels fresh and ready to be endlessly played over a long road trip in the depths of summer. The strongest point of the album lies in its production. Swedish producers Elvira Anderfjärd and Luka Kloser do their best to ensure that the album has its own personality and properly displays Addison’s vision, a goal that none of her previous work was able to properly achieve.
Through subverting the expectations that her album would profit from cheap gimmicks and overused sounds, Rae places herself out of the box she had been confined to for the entirety of her career. When reflecting on the album's low points, one is truly unable to call them major setbacks, as one must recognize that Rae is still at the beginning of her career.
There is much potential for her whispery, siren-sounding vocals to develop into something stronger, but after hearing her voice blended properly with her sparkly beats, you cannot fault her for not going further into unexplored territory. I am very curious to see how she develops her artistry in the future, seeing as this project was the culmination of her life at this point. But for now, we listeners should focus on the present and indulge in this masterfully crafted pop album. Everyone else better catch up!
