The idea of social media stars making music carries with it a negative stigma— not an unfounded one either, as we’ve seen far too many YouTubers and TikTok influencers produce some of the most derivative and unimaginative records of the modern era. Nonetheless, inspiring art can come from anywhere, and any critics dismissing Addison Rae’s debut album on name alone would do well to give it another glance. Though ‘Addison’ is hardly the most definitive or boundary-pushing release of 2025 so far, the star’s commitment to her sound is certainly admirable, and produces a range of intriguing results.

Your typical pop record, this is not— ‘Addison’ dedicates itself fully to a distinctive lo-fi sound in every moment, soaking the record in watery synths and waves of reverb. The star leans into a breathy tone of voice, working hard to blend naturally into the soothing palate of the album: at any time, it’s gentle vocal layers and harmonies dominating the sonic space, acting as an ever-present (but never overbearing) navigator for the project. Few artists with this many eyes on them would feel confident to adopt such a minimalist sound, but it works to make Rae’s debut stand out from the pack: compared to the bland choices that often choke our radio waves, the paired-back synths and stylish percussive twists on a cut like ‘High Fashion’ feel remarkably fresh.

That sound design is certainly the album’s most interesting, and strongest, feature, though it’s not one that necessarily goes to waste: ‘Addison’ is home to a number of sultry cuts, packing in melodies that pull of the balancing act of memorability and understatedness. Single ‘Diet Pepsi’ has been raking in success on streaming, and the reason why is fairly intuitive— the song is simply very agreeable, letting loose into a chorus full of floating vocal parts and loveable melodies.

“When we drive in your car, I'm your baby (so sweet)

Losing all my innocence in the back seat

Say you love, say you love, say you love me (love me)

Losing all my innocence in the back seat”

Like the vast majority of pop records, the album feels most at home when indulging in its hooks. ‘In The Rain’ carries with it all the devious swagger of an R&B hit from The Weeknd, relying fully on a series of soaring vocals from Rae to sell the track’s ethereal qualities— it’s a trick ‘Addison’ pulls off repeatedly, only really aiming to provide something more impactful on the energetic ‘Fame is a Gun’ and climactic closer ‘Headphones On.’

Those hooks had better be strong though, as Rae isn’t bringing much else to hold the listener’s attention here. The album’s washed-out production may set it apart from its contemporaries, but also betrays how shallow much of the writing is across these twelve tracks— though the record’s simplicity is elegant, these arrangements lose their charm quite fast on repeat listens. The beat of ‘Aquamarine’ feels pulled straight from a cheap perfume advert in the 2000s, leaning into a euro-pop aesthetic that feels oddly thin: truth be told, a great many of the instrumental choices throughout the record wind up more like salad dressing than deliberate choices. The extreme minimalism displayed on ‘Summer Forever’ and ‘New York’ appears like the album is retreating into itself— in this way, ‘Addison’ relies more on the appeal of its titular star than it would first appear.

A similar shallowness pervades the record’s lyrical choices, which stand as its most underbaked and uninteresting aspect. Put simply, there just isn’t a lot to say about the majority of choices here, with Rae devoting herself to the tried-and-true themes and images that have always dominated pop music. The album’s musings on romance and youth are rarely offensive, but feel disconcertingly corporate and plastic— there’s very little to grab onto or deconstruct here as Rae consistently deprives these tracks on any deeper meaning.

“So I put my headphones on (I put my headphones on)

Listen to my favourite song (Listen to my favourite song)

Soaking up the rain

Letting my hair down

So I put my headphones on”

Low point ‘Money is Everything’ may hold the only memorable semantic choices here, and they’re not worthy of much praise. Though flaunting wealth and success is no new concept in mainstream pop, the extreme lengths Rae goes to here feel fairly tacky and out-of-touch, putting an uncomfortable spin on an already poorly thought through instrumental.

“Pocketful of sunshine, busting through the seam

Say it, baby, don't lie, money's everything

Diamonds are my best friend like I'm Norma Jean

Say it, baby, don't lie, money's everything”

‘Addison’ is not your conventional star-powered pop record, and Rae deserves some respect for breaking the mould— the singer’s debut album brings its fair share of infectious melodies, and we’ve no doubt that’ll be enough to bring her success. Looking deeper though, it feels clear that both the sound and image of Rae, as a musician, remain under construction. Ultimately, a record like this feels too pulled-back, too reversed, too in-the-box to hold our attention, even despite a meagre 33-minute runtime: the future may be bright for this rising star, but ‘Addison’ is not the dazzling career-launcher it was meant to be.