It’s 2019, the TikTok platform is erupting onto the scene, and Addison Rae is dancing her way into 88 million followers. She left her home in Lafayette, Louisiana to become a member of the influencer group called “Hype House” in Los Angeles, California. Combining her following with those of Charli and Dixie D’Amelio, Chase Hudson and others, the joint account gained over three million followers in just one week, launching them into stardom.
In Her Tiktok Era
The TikToker holds the most watched dance video in the platform’s history, with her rendition of the WAP challenge, and used her new found recognition to inject herself into other marketing mediums. Rae released both her beauty line, ITEM Beauty, and her titular fragrance line, “Addison Rae Fragrance.”
In 2021, she starred in the film “He’s All That,” dipping her toe into the actress pool, but unfortunately, drowned in the negative reviews accompanying the whopping 29% it received on Rotten Tomatoes.
Other TikTokers from the Hype House have tried and failed to begin long-term music careers. Dixie D’Amelio released her first single “Be Happy,” in 2021, but kept it quite separate from her TikTok following, a decision that she explained in an interview with Variety magazine.
“Everyone’s trying to transition towards [TikTok] and I’m trying to transition in the other way, ” she said. “I felt like I was looked down upon. I have a lot of nerves about that now because I want to be respected, but at the same time, this is what everyone’s doing.”
Pop Girlie to Watch
In contrast, Rae took full advantage of the fame that Tiktok had given her in promoting her first single, “Obsessed” in 2021. The song reappeared on her first EP, “AR,” released later that year featuring a collaboration with rising artist, Charli XCX, “2 die 4.”
Capitalizing off of her connection to XCX, Rae was featured on a G Cook remix of the artist’s hit song “Von dutch,” which went viral on TikTok, bringing Rae’s career full circle.
In August of 2024, Rae’s career took a sharp turn into superstar territory after the release of her single “Diet Pepsi.” In contrast to the negativity surrounding her first EP, this track received nothing but praise for its catchy chorus, and keeping with its momentum, just two months later, she released “Aquamarine.”
Most recently, the artist dropped a single on Valentine’s Day entitled “High Fashion,” and it is climbing the charts. The accompanying video presents a nod to something like “The Wizard of Oz,” but shadowed with a provocative vignette.
Naked and Not Afraid
In a twist of fate, Rae landed a secured spot in the pop music scene with a cover feature in Rolling Stone Magazine and mass market attention from other major media. Following the release, Rae expressed her gratitude for her catapult to stardom on Instagram.
“Thank you to everyone who made this shooting star wish come to life. I love you all so much,” she said. “Feeling very transformative and naked. In the best way of course. I am so blessed.”
This proclamation of gratitude is representative of Ray’s newfound confidence. At the 2024 VMA Awards, she walked the red carpet in a glorified bra and underwear, shocking fans. In tandem with artists before her like Miley Cyrus, who traded her child-like tendencies for the embracement of sexuality, Rae is capitalizing on her maturity and attempting to bridge the gap between her life as a TikTok influencer and her future as a pop diva.
