On Aug. 14, Addison Rae released her debut EP titled “AR.” The EP has received positive feedback and has been taking listeners by surprise. 

Rae began her career as a TikTok celebrity, but is now molding into something much more. 

Rae initially blew up in 2019 due to her dance videos and eventual involvement with the Hype House. She was close with other big names on the app and had a notable amount of followers. 

Before TikTok was as big as it is now, plenty of people treated the platform as an opportunity to showcase their talents. Artists like The Weeknd, Ed Sheeran, Justin Bieber, and Five Seconds of Summer have found major success in doing so. 

After Rae was signed to Sandlot Records, she released her debut single “Obsessed.” The track was co-written and co-produced by Benny Blanco, the man behind some of the biggest songs of the 2010’s. Blanco wrote and produced titles like “California Gurls” by Katy Perry, “Your Love Is My Drug” by Ke$ha, and even “Diamonds” by Rihanna. Rae being given the opportunity to work with an exceptional producer elevates her career. 

Unlike her EP, the single was mocked rather than praised. To make matters worse, Rae attended The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon shortly after its release, prompting even more ridicule from the internet. 

Despite backlash, Rae went on to tease an album featuring the single. Despite this, two years went by and an album was nowhere in sight. Although, during this two year gap in her music career, leaked tracks began popping up on YouTube. 

After all the hate she received from her previous release, many believed that Rae’s music career was over. 

The days leading up to the EP, tracks began disappearing from YouTube, sparking rumors of a new project. Rae’s “lost album” may never see the light of day, but this EP is what remains.

My review

It was incredibly difficult choosing my favorite song, but it’s without a doubt “Nothing On (But The Radio).”

I was surprised to find that the track was actually an unreleased Lady Gaga song. Gaga recorded “Nothing on (But the radio)” as a demo while making her album “Born This Way,” but ended up scraping it. Rae acquired the song in 2018, and in my opinion, did it justice. 

Obviously you can’t replicate Lady Gaga, but you can clearly hear Gaga’s influences throughout the track. Some of the vocals do sound strained and forced, but to me the production makes up for it. 

On the other hand, choosing my least favorite wasn’t that hard. I found myself bored during “2 Die 4,” it feels like it’s missing something. By no means is the track bad, it was just very mellow compared to the others, and I expected something entirely different with Charli XCX being featured, but it ended up just being OK.

My final thoughts: Rae has revisited what pop truly is, and I can’t help but appreciate that. I know her reputation is a defining factor during this part of her career, but if you can take the time to view her solely as a musician, you’ll find she didn’t do half bad. I can see Rae doing big things in the future, and I hope she continues with her music.