All 12 Songs on Addison Rae’s Self-Titled Album, Ranked
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Back in July 2019, Addison Rae posted her first TikTok with nothing but a ring light, eight-second choreography, and a dream. Her bite-sized postings would soon shape her most important summer yet as the then 18-year-old hit one million followers in just three months.
But while the bubbly personality became an internet sensation, her label as a “TikToker” served as a double-edged sword, eclipsing every major move she would take to break out of that, including debuting as an actress in Netflix’s He’s All That and Eli Roth’s horror slasher Thanksgiving; starting her own hit podcast, and kickstarting her pop journey with her debut EP AR in 2023.
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It wasn’t until August 2024 when ‘Diet Pepsi’, a heady lust-filled synth-pop single, dropped that made people wonder if she really had that je ne sais quoi. The breakout single marked a renaissance of sorts for Rae, whose rebranding, inspired by a pastiche of pop queen royalties, captivated long-time fans and new listeners. Now, it’s the summer of Addison again—but this time, she has returned as a fully-formed artist with her self-titled studio album, Addison.
Many have tried with varying degrees of success, but is Rae the latest shining example of someone who has managed to cross the TikToker-to-pop star pipeline?
Ahead, we rank all 12 songs on Addison to find out if Rae really has the makings of a main pop girl.
12. ‘Lost & Found’
Any interlude against a full song is bound to end up at the bottom of the list, but that doesn’t mean that ‘Lost & Found’ doesn’t offer anything substantial. If anything, it’s a fantastic first interlude that instrumentals directly pick up from ‘Aquamarine’, the track before it. “I lost myself and found myself again,” Rae repeatedly croons against a dreamy soundscape that beautifully bounces off our headphones (yes, we have our headphones on for you, Rae!). The introspective nature of the interlude is a great choice to signal the more melancholic and wistful side of the album.
11. ‘Life’s No Fun Through Clear Waters’
The final interlude in the album is as atmospheric as it is cinematic, thanks to its rousing use of classical strings. “Life’s no fun through clear waters,” a siren-like voice repeats with haunting, layered vocals. As the second last track, the interlude circles back to Rae’s ethos for the album: to have fun and embrace the crashing waves as they come.
10. ‘Money is Everything’
It’s probably the most divisive song on the album. You either love the unapologetic bubblegum-pop type beat or roll your eyes at the corny lyrics (read: who wants to hear a millionaire sing about how much money they have, even in an ironic way?). Despite our ranking, we’re actually leaning into the former because it really is a fun song with an infectious energy. You get the sense that Rae is just a young girl at heart who wants to hang out with the coolest pop girlies, “please, DJ, play Madonna / Wanna roll one with Lana, get high with Gaga”. Plus, her scream in the outro, “Money loves me!”, has to be one of the most quotable lyrics off her album.
9. ‘Summer Forever’
For an album that dropped in early June, a song without an explicit ode to summer just wouldn’t be right. Listening to this song makes us regret that we’re not running away to Spain with a secret lover. The vocal tuning in the chorus reminds us of Taylor Swift’s breezy vocals in the sun-drenched ‘Wildest Dreams’, but the song still retains a certain sleepy languidness that channels Lana Del Rey’s ‘Summertime Sadness’.
8. ‘High Fashion’
As one of her five single rollouts before the album release, ‘High Fashion’ is what Rae embodies: a lust for the glamorous life, with her at the centre. “Have you ever dreamt of being seen? Not by someone, more like in a magazine,” she poses in the opening. It’s a sensual, luscious song that speaks to the singer’s pop pursuits, rejecting “drugs” and “cheap love” for “more than just a hit.”
7. ‘Headphones On’
Narratively, ‘Headphones On’ is the perfect ending song. Plucking lyrics directly from ‘Life’s No Fun Through Clear Waters’, the track is a cathartic release as listeners go through the journey of Rae’s various traumas and anxieties to finally say, “You can’t fix what has already been broken / You just have to surrender to the moment / Guess I gotta accept the pain”. It’s a hopeful, positive song that leaves us with the feeling that things are going to be okay as she affirms “Every good thing comes my way” and “I know the lows are what makes the highs higher”.
6. ‘New York’
A song purely on vibes and the dizzying energy of New York City. It’s an opener we’re sure no one was expecting, which is exactly what makes it so great. A pure dance track with impressive production and vocal stylings, the schizophrenic beat and pounding bassline capture the frantic energy of the Big Apple in the most heady way possible. We’ve also been mumbling “Love New York, love New York, love New York / Feel so free, feel so free / Feel so free, it’s my religion” a concerning number of times. Plus, that final explosive breakdown…absolutely no notes.
5. ‘In The Rain’
Some songs are love at first listen, and ‘In This Rain’ is one of them. With its whimsical instrumental and glimmering synths paired with Rae’s airy vocals, the song is gently euphoric and captures that classic 2000s nostalgia-pop. By the time we get to that swell of a final chorus, we’re positively levitating. Sonically, it completely sweeps us off our feet. Lyrically, ‘In the Rain’ is one of her best as she offers honest glimpses into her psyche: “Misunderstood but I’m not gonna sweat it / Isn’t it all for the show? Keeping a smile on my face for protection / Turning my tears into gold”.
4. ‘Times Like These’
We’re nearing the end of the album, and Rae hits hard with this one. It’s cutting, honest, melancholic, and sees the singer in her most tender yet. Here, she brings us close to the wounds she’s hinted at a few songs prior, such as how she’s grappling with her rise to fame (“My life moves faster than me”), her body issues (“Do I eat what I want tonight”), and being a child of divorce (“Am I too old to blame my dad”). It’s a mature and sophisticated number that proves the 24-year-old has more depth than most give her credit for.
3. ‘Diet Pepsi’
Yup, nine months later, and we still have the ‘Diet Pepsi’ fever. Despite hearing it countless times, it’s a song we just can’t bring ourselves to skip when listening to Addison. While the rest of the album shows that Rae has the chops to delve into more nuanced and niche aspects of her artistry, ‘Diet Pepsi’ shows that the singer knows exactly how to create radio-ready, catchy earworms for mainstream listeners. We’ll be popping our butts off to this for a while.
2. ‘Fame is a Gun’
When ‘Fame is a Gun’ was released ahead of the album release, we just had to put our hands up and admit it was a generational run. It’s honestly impressive how she was able to go five for five for her single rollout (we told you she has a keen eye on what trends). The bouncy, nostalgia-tinged instrumental is instantly catchy, and the sharp lyrics sell the idea of a fame-hungry Rae. “Do I provoke you with my tone of innocence?” she wonders aloud while poking fun at her critics (When you shame me, it makes me want it more”). ‘Fame is a Gun’ is a playful, confident, and sexy song that makes clear Rae is gunning for that pop girl status: “I’m gonna make it, gonna go down in history.”
1. ‘Aquamarine’
‘Diet Pepsi’ clearly had us in a chokehold, but it wasn’t until Rae followed up with ‘Aquamarine’ that we said, “okay, she’s really on to something here.” Conceptually, no other song on the album is as fully realised as ‘Aquamarine’ is. The synths, reverbs, and vocal layering really capture that glittering, siren-like quality, which is almost hypnotic to listen to. Similar to why we love ‘Fame is a Gun’, ‘Aquamarine’ stands out for being a self-assured anthem. “I’m not hiding anymore / I’m free,” she sings. Much like how Rae dances down in the music video, the song exercises the perfect balance of cool restraint and control on top of a gorgeous, delicate melody.
Final verdict
In Addison, Rae shows that she not only has the poise and elegance to execute avant-garde concepts (‘Aquamarine’, ‘Fame is a Gun’), but also the emotional maturity to get disarmingly honest when she needs to (‘Times Like These’, ‘In The Rain’).
A large part of the impressive cohesion of the album is due to Rae’s collaboration with writer-producer duo Luka Kloser and Elvira Anderfjärd. With such collaborators whoEven in 2025, it’s rare to find such a major pop debut made entirely by women. The essence of hedonistic girlhood in Addison is what happens when you leave women to freely explore and unapologetically create.
All in all, Addison is a fantastic debut album that cements Rae as one of the new main pop girls to look out for. With its dreamy alt-pop soundscape and textures, Addison is everything we had anticipated and more. As Rae continues to evolve her artistry, we’ll be here waiting and listening with our headphones on.
Rating: 4/5
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