In the rapidly-evolving social media landscape, few platforms have impacted pop culture as significantly as TikTok has in recent years.
If you were on the app in 2020, you couldn’t escape 19-year-old TikToker Addison Rae Easterling. More commonly referred to as just Addison Rae, the dancer exploded onto the TikTok scene, quickly becoming one of the app’s biggest stars.
As of October, she has amassed over 88 million followers and over 5 billion likes for her dancing videos. Her TikTok presence launched her into mainstream media as well: As her popularity grew, she entered brand deals with a variety of large companies, such as American Eagle and Hollister.
In March of 2021, Rae took a bold step into the music industry with the release of her debut single “Obsessed.” The move was met with significant anticipation, given her massive following. However, the reception was far from universally positive — I personally gave it a listen out of curiosity and was pretty disappointed with the song. Critics and listeners alike found the song lacking in originality and depth. Nick Romano of Entertainment Weekly noted that “the ‘official lyrics’ read more like a text exchange.”
After 2021, a noticeable shift in public sentiment toward social media creators and influencers emerged. Rae was a target of this growing distaste, among other TikTokers and influencers, as the platform’s stars were increasingly viewed as superficial or inauthentic. The shift also coincided with a broader move favoring micro-influencers, who were seen as more relatable and trustworthy.
Despite the initial setback with “Obsessed” and the increasingly critical public scrutiny, Rae persevered in her music career. On Aug. 9, she released another single called “Diet Pepsi,” written with Luka Kloser & ELVIRA, through ARXOXO/Columbia Records. In a surprising turn of events, this track was met with a significantly warmer response than “Obsessed.”
“‘Diet Pepsi’ is Rae’s most interesting and arresting work to date, a distinctly American, hypnotic, mid tempo lullaby,” Top Shelf, Low Brow critic Coleman Spilde said.
This achievement marked a notable improvement in Rae’s musical career, with many other critics agreeing and even comparing Rae’s new song to Lana Del Rey’s music.
I first truly connected with “Diet Pepsi” during one of those classic procrastination nights, mindlessly scrolling through Instagram Reels at 4 a.m. and desperately trying to put off my chemistry homework for just a few more minutes. That’s when I heard it again — a song I’d encountered countless times before, but had never really paid attention to. Of course, because I really did not want to do my homework, I decided to search for the full track, fully expecting to uncover another Ariana Grande bop.
To my surprise and slight embarrassment, I discovered I’d been grooving to none other than Rae. I added “Diet Pepsi” to one playlist — then another — until it was my top-streamed song of the month. I’m still not entirely sure what made the song so captivating. My best guess is that it was the unexpectedly quiet production that resonated with my late-night, homework-avoiding self.
While the path has not been without its hurdles, Rae may be carving out a more enduring place for herself in the music industry. Many notable established artists have started collaborating with Rae, including Charli XCX who released “Von Dutch (Remix)” with her early this February. Rae also performed their remix and “Diet Pepsi” at Charli XCX’s Sweat Tour stop in Madison Square Garden.
Rae’s journey from “Obsessed” to “Diet Pepsi” shows how much an artist can grow, even in an environment where public opinion is quick to judge. Rae’s latest work reflects a clear evolution, showing that she’s more than just a TikTok personality, and she’s starting to carve her space as a musician.
