Chances are even if you somehow escaped Addison Rae’s skyrocket rise to fame via TikTok shortly prior to and during the covid era, you haven’t escaped hearing one of her songs lately shopping in a trendy boutique or trending on the very app to which she owes her fame. Although her debut album dropped just last month, Rae’s four singles released within the last twelve months, “Diet Pepsi,” “Aquamarine,” “Headphones On,” and “High Fashion,” each with an accompanying music video, have already enjoyed both cult and mainstream success. “Diet Pepsi” has been her biggest commercial success to date, peaking at number 54 on the US Billboard charts. The full album, self titled Addison, released on June 6th, 2025 is pure pop. In uber cool girl fashion, Rae debuted her new album at the famed, exclusive, and debaucherous NYC nightclub The Box. Four days later on June 10th, she followed up the performance with an encore at London’s sister nightclub The Box Soho. The album’s popularity in its totality is yet to be seen, but I’m personally ready for a star to be fully born.

Anyone in the business can tell you that it takes years of work to become an overnight success. In actuality, stars aren’t born in an instant, they’re made over time and hopefully possess that magical star-making quality if their management team is lucky. Rae’s career has been brewing over the past six years, and has certainly gone through many stages in that short period of time. Since gaining popularity on TikTok in 2019 as a Louisiana State University student making dance trend videos, Rae has become an unbothered, connected, LA cool girl. In between these eras Rae launched and discontinued her own beauty line, tried her hand at acting, and hosted a podcast with her mother. Still through everything, her bubbly, sweet southern charm shines through. Her new music and public persona are perfectly tailored for the moment she has created for herself. 

Female driven pop has been climbing the charts, dominating streaming numbers, setting trends, and selling out stadiums for the past few years. Established superstars Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, and Lady Gaga, fan favorites like Selena Gomez and Miley Cyrus, and younger newcomers such as Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter, and Chappell Roan are all amongst the most popular names in music currently. Charli XCX, another name who should be included in the previous list, included Rae on the “Von Dutch” remix from her viral album BRAT in 2024, bringing Rae more concretely into the conversation surrounding the female pop renaissance. Charli has since included Rae in performances of the track during her SWEAT tour at Madison Square Garden and Coachella weekend 2, much to fans’ delight. 

Call it cotton candy or bubble gum, but Rae’s brand of pop music is perfect for her. Her music resonates with teen girls dancing in their rooms and sneaking their first joint because she knows those girls, she was that girl. Put aptly by Rae herself on Addison’s third track “Money is Everything,” “the girl I used to be is still the girl inside of me.” She looks just as natural running around in Soffe shorts and Converse as she does on the red carpet in Madonna-inspired white tulle and sculptural bra. Rae has transformed before her audiences’ eyes, from one of the girls to Gen Z “It Girl.” The evolution has certainly had its ups and downs. Family drama, a tumultuous romance with fellow TikToker Bryce Hall, a seemingly random blip of best friendship with Kourtney Kardashian, and some viral memes later, she has come out the other side. Bad bleep Addison Rae. Lil’ shawty the baddest. 

Rae had dubbed herself a Spears superfan and credits Spears with inspiring her performance style. Even still, when Rae was mentioned in connection to the rumored Britney biopic, she came out last year in Teen Vogue saying that no one should have the honor of playing pop legend, an untouchable enigma according to her superfan. Although far from untouchable yet, enigma feels like a fitting moniker for Addison Rae. The true every-girl turned pop star, a modern Princess story.

From street style to red carpets, each look is crafted to culminate in a public persona with dominant notes of whimsy, vixen, carefree, girlhood. Rae has evolved into a fearless fashionista. Paired with any outfit, her smile makes it nearly impossible not to fall in love with her. Addison somehow seems to try anything and yet she doesn’t have to try at all. 

Next month, August 26th, marks the start of her first ever headlining world tour, with stops in the UK, Europe, North America, and Australia. Rae recently opened for Lana del Rey, also named dropped on Addison, earlier this month at her Wembley Stadium shows in London to prepare for her own solo shows in the city later this year. Yet another endorsement from one of modern pop’s most beloved cult queens. Granted, her team seemingly knows exactly how and where to place Rae to maximize the image she is cultivating, but once the spotlight shines on her, she shines right back. After The Addison Tour concludes, the sky is seemingly the limit for Addison Rae. I for one cannot wait to see the full tour wardrobe and every single dance break, and I’ll probably be watching it on TikTok, the genesis of Rae’s fame, which still sustains it to this day.