the reinvention of Addison Rae

The Rise of Addison Rae

Addison Rae Easterling became an overnight sensation in early 2019 through the popular teen app TikTok. It was apparent from the start that she was destined to be a star. What set her apart from other creators was her small-town charm. Originally from southern Louisiana, Addison embodied the “girl next door” aesthetic, and viewers adored it. Rae attracted a fanbase consisting mostly of teenage girls, but due to her natural beauty and bleached blonde waves, there was no denying her large male following. Addison quickly amassed a following of over 80 million followers on TikTok, becoming the fifth most-followed solo creator on the platform.

Similarly to her fellow creators, Addison quickly capitalized on her sudden fame. She moved to Los Angeles with her family in late 2019 to live in “The Hype House,” a content creator house known for housing elite TikTok creators such as Charli D’Amelio, Chase Hudson, and more. There was no going back from there; within months, Rae collaborated with brands such as American Eagle, befriended A-list Hollywood celebrities, and even attended the Met Gala. She was living the American Dream that most long for. Little did she know, her sudden fame would soon crumble.

The Fall of Addison Rae

Addison’s large following was due to her immense realness and authenticity. By 2021, it seemed as if she and her team had forgotten this. All of Addison’s socials were drowning in endless brand deals and ads, and it seemed as if she was just another product of consumerism. Her attempt to transition into mainstream entertainment worsened. Rae landed a leading role in Netflix’s He’s All That, which was a remake of the beloved 90s film She’s All That. The movie received overwhelmingly negative reviews, and viewers began to blame it on Rae. Afterward, Addison quickly became labeled as “just another influencer with no real talent,” a perception that was further supported by her debut single, “Obsessed,” which received a myriad of negative reviews.

The backlash against Rae grew vast, from being labeled as “cringe” to politically insensitive, especially after pictures of her with Donald Trump emerged. To make matters worse, Addison’s father, Monty Lopez, publicly admitted to an affair through the app that once greatly benefited her. The fall of her family, fanbase, and career caused Rae to take a step back from being a content creator. Her posts became less frequent, and she used this time to focus on rebuilding her music career.

The Rebrand of Addison Rae

The hate train targeting Addison slowly died down during her break. She recorded an EP, AR, which was leaked around 2023. Surprisingly, the songs received amazing reviews. Rae was compared to 2000s pop stars such as Britney Spears. Addison saw an opportunity—and she seized it. She completely submerged herself in this new persona and used it to reinvent not only herself but also her platform.

Addison befriended celebrities with fanbases similar to her target audience, such as Charli XCX and Troye Sivan. As a result, their fans began to see Addison as a modern-day pop icon rather than a forgotten influencer. Rae’s newfound fame skyrocketed when she contributed to Charli’s song Von Dutch from her Brat album, which completely took over the summer of 2024. Rae had completely transformed and began to reach celebrity status. After officially releasing her EP, fans were begging her to release more music, and she complied.

On August 9, 2024, “Diet Pepsi” was released. The single amassed over 3 million streams in its first week and broke the charts in multiple areas. What lured listeners in was the Lana Del Rey-esque production combined with the unfiltered party girl persona that Charli gave her. This unique blend gave Addison a sense of originality she didn’t have while being perceived as only a TikTok star. Today, she has released two more singles, “Aquamarine” and “High Fashion,” in the same alluring production style as Diet Pepsi. Rae is even on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, projected to be the next big star.

Why her rebrand works

TikTok stars from 2020, who were once all anyone could talk about, are slowly becoming forgotten. Most of them try to achieve the same rebrand as Addison, yet fail. This is because Addison started marketing herself as a celebrity rather than an influencer. What sets her apart is her loyalty to her unique aesthetic. Most influencer pages lack originality and are full of brand endorsements, whereas Addison keeps a mysterious hold on her fans by posting infrequently. When she does post, it’s carefully curated to match her brand.

Addison also used the power of pre-existing fanbases, such as Britney Spears and Charli XCX, to reinvent herself through networking. Addison Rae’s rebrand is one to be studied for decades.