Addison (album)

''Addison'' is the debut studio album by American singer Addison Rae. It was released on June 6, 2025, through Columbia Records under exclusive licensing from As Long As I'm Dancing LLC. ''Addison'' was produced by Elvira Anderfjärd and Luka Kloser, who also co-wrote the songs with Rae. The album was preceded by the release of five singles: "Diet Pepsi", " Aquamarine", "High Fashion", " Headphones On", and " Fame Is a Gun".

Upon its release, ''Addison'' was met with positive reviews from music critics. It debuted at number one on the New Zealand Albums Chart and reached the top ten in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Ireland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In support of the album, Rae will embark on The Addison Tour, her first concert tour, in 2025.

Background

Rae originally rose to prominence as a content creator on TikTok where she had amassed over 88 million followers. She later ventured into acting and singing, the latter of which was spurred by her adoration of pop music. On August 18, 2023, Rae released her debut EP '' AR'', which included her debut single " Obsessed" as well as four other tracks, including a collaboration with British singer-songwriter Charli XCX. Rae revealed that XCX played a crucial role in shaping her musical journey following the release of the track. Talking to '' Vogue'' about her musical aspirations in 2023, she expressed her desire to have "full control over doing it exactly how I envision it", citing the EP as the "end note to the past few years" as well as the "stepping stone forward in my career".

Speaking with Brittany Spanos of ''Rolling Stone'' in January 2025, Rae revealed that she enlisted only Luka Kloser and Elvira Anderfjärd to produce her debut studio album. Both are signed to MxM Music, a publishing company owned by Swedish producer Max Martin. Kloser, Anderfjärd and Rae also wrote every song on the album, working between Los Angeles, New York City and Sweden. The album was partially recorded at Martin's studio headquarters in Sweden. Spanos was presented a few album tracks during the interview, which she described as "hypnotic, trance-like pop songs, pulsating and lush" with lyrics that enbody the spirit of being "young, fun, and free". Speaking with Suzy Exposito of ''Elle'', Rae, Kloser and Anderfjärd revealed that the album was inspired by Madonna's 1998 album '' Ray of Light'', while the Korg M1 synthesizer was dubbed "the sonic lynchpin" of the album. Ahead of its release, numerous publications referred to the album as one of the most anticipated musical projects of 2025.

Listings on Rae's online store describe ''Addison'' as "the first & last album by Addison Rae", suggesting a possible shift in her artistic identity. In her interview with ''Elle'', Rae remarked that she now identifies simply as ''Addison'' and discussed taking a more intentional approach to her career. She also cited her dance background as a key influence on her musical style, emphasizing her focus on how music feels and moves the body.

Promotion

On April 12, 2025, the singer made a surprise appearance at Arca's Coachella 2025 set. During a performance of their collaboration " Arcamarine", Rae teased the album release date by flashing her pink underwear from Victoria's Secret with "June 6" written on them. Rae revealed the album title and the artwork on April 23. The album consists of twelve tracks. The album tracklist was revealed through billboards across the world displaying song titles or lyrics, while the track order was revealed on May 21. On May 27, Rae revealed the album trailer, which serves as a reintroduction to the singer. On June 4, Rae teased the music video for the tenth track from the album, " Times Like These", and released it on June 6. ''The New York Times'' then reported that the album would have videos for every song.

Singles

In 2024, Rae signed with Columbia Records and released her major label debut single "Diet Pepsi", a "dreamy pop song", on August 9, 2024. The single went on to become her breakthrough hit, peaking at number 54 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 as well as the top 10 in the United Kingdom. The second single " Aquamarine" was released on October 25. Described as a " siren's call wrapped in dance-pop shimmer", comparisons were drawn to the likes of Madonna, Britney Spears and Kylie Minogue. The song was later remixed by Venezuelan producer Arca, titled "Arcamarine". On February 14, 2025, she released the third single "High Fashion", a statement about the "addiction" to fashion and feeling empowered as a result. " Headphones On", reminiscent of "smooth, new jack swing bounce straight out of 1994" mixed with Lana Del Rey-coded lyrics", was released as the fourth single on April 18. Rae described making of the song and video as "cathartic" and a "transformative experience". " Fame Is a Gun" was released as the fifth single on May 30.

Live performances

Rae performed on June 5, 2025, at The Box, New York City with Spotify to celebrate the release of the album. She performed "Diet Pepsi", "Aquamarine", a jazz rendition of "High Fashion", "Headphones On", "Fame Is a Gun", "Times Like These", and "New York". She performed the same seven songs at The Box Soho, London on June 10. On June 17, Rae announced her first headlining tour, The Addison Tour, with dates in Europe, North America and Australia, set from August through November 2025.

Critical reception

''Addison'' received positive reviews upon release. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 79, based on 13 reviews, indicating "generally favourable reviews".

''Rolling Stone''s Maya Georgi highlighted the project's vision and production: "Rae's eclectic intentions are loud and clear: to create a distinctive, dreamy soundscape that brings her album moodboards to life." ''Pitchfork''s Meaghan Garvey attributed the album's cohesiveness to the album's overall "feeling" rather than its sound or genre, writing that while Addison's inspirations are "written on her sleeve", the album's sensual and "occasionally euphoric" feeling ties the tracks together. '' Clash''s Sam Franzini categorizes ''Addison'' as a masterful pop album—with a unique blend of esoteric, sultry, melancholic, confident, and experimental themes and production. ''Billboard'' claimed Rae's "rise to main pop girl is equal parts master class and modern spectacle", and her debut "proves her to be one of one among pop's current crew."

''The Guardian''s Shaad D'Souza praised Rae's unique sound and writing amidst a crowded pop market: "Rae resists the 2020s impulse to intellectualise every pop album and is unencumbered by ham-fisted concepts, Easter eggs or ultra-prescriptive 'lore' that tells listeners what to think." ''The Independent''s Felicity Martin concluded that Rae has earned her seat at the pop table, describing ''Addison'' as an intimate, personal work marked by its signature blend of traditional commercial pop tropes and experimentation—a distinct "weirdness" Martin hopes Rae will lean into even more. Alex Rigotti of ''NME'' also lauded the album's "genuine girlish sincerity ..pop that pairs high-brow sonic references with broader emotional strokes, mostly without feeling contrived", continuining that it is "bold, expressive, and catchy as hell, and with little overt biography, it's completely personal in its craftsmanship."

''Variety''s Thania Garcia complimented ''Addison''s "unadulterated freedom" and lyricism: "She finds comfort in her own systems of escapism, oftentimes leaving empowered by the moments she feels misunderstood or vulnerable." Maria Sherman of the Associated Press stated the project is "full, stuffed with bejeweled, hypnotic pop songs," writing that "intimacy is one of the album's superpowers, a sensibility that teeters between close mic recordings and big late-night anthems," calling it a "stellar debut album." Heather Taylor-Singh of ''Exclaim!'' wrote that "Rae's youthful energy overflows into the album's visual identity" with her "sensual voice driving each track," affirming that, "The album is an earnest, succinct group of tracks that freely flow into each other, and by the end of its 33-minute runtime, every song deserves its spot on the tracklist." '' Paste''s Jaeden Pinder declared it "simultaneously feels like a coronation and a make or break moment, and Addison Rae has brilliantly cemented herself among pop's newest faces."

Commercial performance

In the United States, ''Addison'' debuted at number four on the ''Billboard'' 200, with first-week sales of 48,500 album-equivalent units, consisting of 23,000 pure album sales.

Track listing

Personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.

Musicians
* Addison Rae – vocals
* Elvira Anderfjärd – background vocals, keyboards, programming, production
* Luka Kloser – keyboards, programming, production (all tracks); background vocals (tracks 1–3, 5, 7–12)
* Tove Burman – background vocals (tracks 5, 6), keyboards (6)

Technical
* Elvira Anderfjärd – engineering
* Luka Kloser – engineering
* Bryce Bordone – engineering assistance
* Randy Merrill – mastering
* Serban Ghenea – mixing

Charts

References

{{Addison Rae

2025 debut albums
Addison Rae albums
Columbia Records albums