Archie Marks reviews Addison Rae’s major-label debut single, impressed with how it paves a new path for the emerging pop star’s career
The backseat of a boy’s car; sweet nothings whispered between steamed windows; stolen innocence. These are the images that TikTok star turned pop starlet Addison Rae evokes in her excellent new single, ‘Diet Pepsi’ – her first for a major label.
To some listeners, Rae’s breathy, angelic vocal tone and her Americana imagery (like ‘ripped blue jeans’ as well as the titular soft drink) may be reminiscent of Lana del Rey; for others, Rae could easily be the second coming of Britney, with her provocative dancing in the music video directed by Sean Price Williams. While Rae – like every prominent artist – wears her influences on her sleeve, with this single she announces herself as a pop star in her own right.
While Rae… wears her influences on her sleeve, with this single she announces herself as a pop star in her own right
Rae’s vocals on ‘Diet Pepsi’ are tender at some points, soaring at others. The production – courtesy of Luka Kloser and ELVIRA – is sensual and hypnotic to match. In the song’s final chorus, the key change is a simple but inspired choice that elevates it to another level of ecstasy.
It is a bold leap forward for Rae, who was previously written off as another TikTok wannabe; since abandoning the Hype House, she has put out an excellent EP – last year’s AR – which featured the instant classic ‘I Got It Bad’. She also reworked the lost Lady Gaga demo, ‘Nothing On (But the Radio)’ and made it her own.
Perhaps most crucial to Rae’s rebrand as pop’s newest ‘it girl’ was the endorsement of singer Charli XCX, who featured on Rae’s song ‘2 Die 4’. After this, XCX then returned the favour by inviting Rae onto a remix of her Brat single ‘Von Dutch’ – where the pair traded iconic lines like ‘linked with Addison on Melrose’. On the bridge, Rae made the scream heard around the world, and the rest is her-story.
With ‘Diet Pepsi’, Rae gives us a taste of her brand going forward: like Sabrina Carpenter – the other blonde to release a summery caffeinated-beverage anthem this year – Rae is carving a path all her own, delivering hooky choruses, gorgeous vocals, and instantly iconic visuals. She has given us a sip of her career to come; it’s easy to tell that the whole bottle will be just as sublime.
9/10
More articles:
Live Review: Des Rocs | Redbrick Music
Comments