Addison Rae's New Music Is "2 Die 4"

Addison Rae is the next main pop girl, at least according to her vocal social media fandom. The twenty-two-year-old TikTok star became an internet icon after several of her dance videos went viral in 2019. She even joined the infamous “Hype House,” a group of TikTok creators who lived together in a luxurious LA mansion until early 2020. Despite her miraculous ascent into the spotlight, Rae, similar to other social media stars of her era, was not in good graces with the general public. Insensitive comments, cringe-worthy videos, and ill-timed vacations managed to turn the masses against Rae and fellow TikTokers. Despite the onslaught of criticism, Rae was making millions and her notoriety was only growing. At the peak of her social media success, Rae released her debut single, “Obsessed.” The public response to the song was subpar and the music video’s awkward choreography made Rae a target of mean-spirited teasing online. She has since revealed that she contemplated quitting music after the negative backlash the single received. 

Following the single’s release and subsequent failure, more of Rae’s song demos leaked. All seemed lost for the internet icon, who appeared to be permanently wed to her TikTok image. However, the public reaction to the leaks contradicted everything that had been established about Rae’s musical career. The unreleased tracks began to circulate online as Rae began to accumulate a niche following. Listeners started to shift their position on the singer. The music was actually good, if not on par with pop music’s main players. The juxtaposition of Rae’s flippant reputation and her surprisingly listenable music cultivated a fandom of Twitter (Now known as X) gays praising Rae like the second coming of Beyoncé. The complicated relationship between Rae and her fanbase is best described as affectionate with an undertone of irony. Rae's “most dedicated” fans seem to acknowledge that her musicality doesn’t transcend pop boundaries but the praise for her music is far from disingenuous. 

Rae's rise to pop success is almost reminiscent of rap sensation, Ice Spice. The Bronx rapper whose viral moment turned her into a niche Twitter (X) meme capitalized off of this attention to establish herself as an A-list celebrity. Perhaps the most notable example of this pipeline is Emma Chamberlin. The comedy vlogger blurred the lines between influencer and celebrity, rebranding herself as fashion’s newest “it girl.” Chamberlain even went on to grace the cover of Vogue Australia. While Rae isn’t the first influencer to make this transition, she has had perhaps the most jarring rebrand.  

In August of this year, Rae made a long-awaited announcement to fans: she was going to release her previously unreleased tracks that went viral on social media. This announcement took the Addison Rae hype to new heights and her EP, titled “AR,” debuted with a respectable 1.7 million streams, despite only being available to Spotify Premium users. Rae even teamed up with undisputed icon Charli XCX for a rendition of her viral track “2 Die 4.” Among other viral hits, Rae released a highly anticipated Lady Gaga scrap, “Nothing On (But the Radio.)” The EP’s success adds Rae to the ever-growing list of influencers who used the “meme to star” pipeline to initiate a mainstream career. 

While Rae may not leave an indelible impact on music history, she has successfully transitioned her brand from the internet’s favorite laughing stock to a well-respected hit-maker. Regardless of the future of Rae’s musical endeavors, she has left no question that she can make a pop song and capture the public’s attention. Addison Rae just might be pop’s next household name. 

By Sawyer Sugarman