Columbia
Dance Pop, 2025

One has to give Addison Rae a round of begrudging applause, or at least a slow clap from the back of the room.

Rising to fame as a TikTok star, she started at the social ladder rung just above “someone who got famous for getting kicked off The Bachelor” and yet somehow clawed her way into music and movies like a millennial Cockroach of Ambition™. Say what you want about her, but Ms Rae is the embodiment of the phrase “secure the bag, sweetie”.

Now, Addison, her debut album, has arrived. And — plot twist — it’s… not bad?

Listen, this isn’t Adele clutching her chest while belting about heartbreak in grayscale. Addison Rae wisely sidesteps her limited vocal range by weaponizing breathy coos, whispered come-ons, and Auto-Tuned purrs like a pop star assembling an IKEA nightstand of hooks and beats. It’s the kind of album designed for moments when nobody is actually listening to the lyrics, such as spring break, pool parties, or your friend’s ill-advised bachelorette weekend in Cancun.

Imagine Lana Del Rey, but she’s had too many shots of Fireball and is now doing karaoke at a club called Ibiza’s Mistake. That’s Addison Rae here. The songs kind of blur together in a haze of synth, bass drops, and vocals so airy you’d think she was recorded from inside a scented candle. But does it matter? This isn’t an album for deep thought. It’s an album for making bad decisions with beautiful people in questionable lighting.

The standout track is Diet Pepsi, which sounds like if a fizzy drink commercial turned sentient and got a record deal. The chorus is irresponsibly catchy, and there’s a key change so dramatic it should come with a seatbelt. I’ve caught myself humming it at deeply inappropriate times — in the shower, at funerals, during Zoom meetings where I was supposed to be paying attention.

Times Like These is another one to watch — a little earworm that burrows into your brain and squats there like an uninvited houseguest who refuses to leave. The rest of the album is basically one long, glittery montage soundtrack for your inevitable spring break mistakes.

Ultimately, Addison is a masterclass in making the most of what you’ve got which, in Ms Rae’s case, is a moderately functional vocal range and an absolutely ruthless understanding of what people will drunkenly dance to at 2AM. It’s easy to sneer, but go ahead, listen to Diet Pepsi and see if you don’t end up hate-loving it.