Unlikely though it may seem, sacrilegious even — but TikTok star Addison Rae is following in the footsteps of Josephine Baker and Madonna. Both were dancers who became singing stars, Baker in Paris a century ago and Madonna in New York on the cusp of the 1980s. Rae, product of a very different terpsichorean culture, is now attempting the same.
The California-based influencer, originally from Lafayette, Louisiana, has built a mighty TikTok following of almost 90mn, more than the population of Germany. Her videos are, or were — she seldom posts any more — cheery affairs involving banter with influencer-pals and cute dance routines. As a child, Rae had been a competitive dancer from the tender age of six. Behind her beaming face as she did her TikTok moves was the all-American will to win.
She made her first foray into music in 2021 with the single “Obsessed”. It was a decent effort, with a nice blend of moodiness and lightness, although commentators were scornful. In those days, TikTok was seen as a childish novelty. But now the app is all-conquering. Rae, or rather Addison — she hankers for the mononymous appellation of what are cliquishly known as the main pop girls — is enjoying deferential treatment with the arrival of her debut album. But if her first single was overhated, then Addison is being overpraised.
Madonna gets a shout-out in “Money Is Everything” (“And when I’m up dancing, please DJ, play Madonna”), as do Lana Del Rey and Lady Gaga. “Aquamarine” makes a lunge at Ray of Light’s holistic electropop, while “Diet Pepsi” is a diverting Lana pastiche. Rae’s high breathy voice recalls Britney Spears. Josephine Baker’s influence is undetectable, although Addison invites a beau to join her in Paris in “Summer Forever”. “We could get real romantic and never, ever stop dancing,” she coos.
All this is done knowingly but not archly. Irony evaporates in Rae’s breathy tone, an inscrutable meta-stance that owes something to her patron Charli XCX (who has boosted Rae’s pop girl credentials by collaborating with her). The production is adroitly handled by Elvira Anderfjärd and Luka Kloser, both affiliated to chart-pop supremo Max Martin. But the album itself is underwhelming. Songs scroll by flatly. Lyrics make clunky efforts to reboot the influencer’s image through good girl-wild girl switchbacks. Closing track “Headphones On”, with its charming singsong beat, is the only one to conceivably make you want to dance.
★★☆☆☆
‘Addison’ is released by Columbia
