Addison by Addison Rae
75
ChoruScore
13 reviews
Jun 6, 2025
Release Date
Columbia
Label

Addison Rae's Addison stakes a confident claim to pop territory by turning TikTok-born fame into a sleek, referential 33-minute record that critics generally praise. Across professional reviews, the album's best songs repeatedly surface as proof of ambition - notably “Diet Pepsi”, “Aquamarine”, “New York”, “Headphones On” and “High Fashion” - and those tracks anchor the record's mix of Y2K/90s dance-pop pastiche and modern synthpop sheen. The critical consensus score of 75.38/100 across 13 reviews signals a broadly favorable reception, with reviewers pointing to strong singles, female-led production, and a knack for sensual, sunlit popcraft.

Critics consistently praise the album when Rae embraces maximal, nostalgic production and intimate vocal touches. Many reviews single out “Diet Pepsi” as a dreamy, woozy standout; “Aquamarine” and “New York” for their four-on-the-floor energy and Charli XCX or Madonna-inflected thrills; and “Headphones On” and “High Fashion” for revealing quieter depth or adventurous textures. Reviewers note recurring themes of nostalgia, escapism, glamor, and self-mythology, and they credit the cohesive, often female-driven production with giving the record a particular polish and intimacy.

At the same time some critics register inconsistency - the album's pastiche sometimes reads as stylish fragments rather than fully formed statements - so the verdict is admiring but measured. Across 13 professional reviews the consensus suggests Addison is worth attention for its standout tracks and pop craftsmanship, marking Addison Rae's successful, if occasionally uneven, reinvention from content creator to genuine pop contender. Scroll down for full reviews and track-by-track notes.

Critics' Top Tracks

The standout songs that made critics take notice

1

Diet Pepsi

12 mentions

"Lead single “Diet Pepsi” features a smattering of early Lana Del Rey-isms"
Paste Magazine
2

Aquamarine

10 mentions

""Diet Pepsi" and then "Aquamarine," "High Fashion," "Headphones On" and "Fame Is a Gun" all surpassed her previous work."
Variety
3

New York

11 mentions

"“New York” is about the millionth love letter written about the Big Apple"
Paste Magazine
Lead single “Diet Pepsi” features a smattering of early Lana Del Rey-isms
P
Paste Magazine
about "Diet Pepsi"
Read full review
12 mentions
89% sentiment

Track Ratings

How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.

View:
1

New York

11 mentions
100
02:32
2

Diet Pepsi

12 mentions
100
02:49
3

Money is Everything

11 mentions
81
02:02
4

Aquamarine

10 mentions
100
02:42
5

Lost & Found

8 mentions
00:48
6

High Fashion

12 mentions
100
03:18
7

Summer Forever

10 mentions
85
03:47
8

In The Rain

9 mentions
74
03:33
9

Fame is a Gun

12 mentions
92
03:03
10

Times Like These

10 mentions
69
03:52
11

Life's No Fun Through Clear Waters

8 mentions
00:57
12

Headphones On

13 mentions
100
04:00

What Critics Are Saying

Deep insights from 14 critics who reviewed this album

Critic's Take

Addison Rae makes a convincing leap on Addison, where the best songs - notably “Diet Pepsi” and “Money Is Everything” - crystallize her blend of nostalgic Y2K gloss and modern pop invention. The reviewer's voice lingers on the pre-released tracks as the album's strongest moments, praising “Diet Pepsi” as a dreamy, wispy standout and noting “Money Is Everything” and “New York” for their Charli XCX-tinged hyperpop flirtations. The record's production, entirely female-led, gives it a distinct intimacy while Rae's sensual, reverb-drenched delivery makes songs like “In The Rain” feel honest and quietly resilient. Overall, Addison is playful and earnest, a succinct 33-minute pop statement that mostly succeeds where its singles already hinted it would.

Key Points

  • The best song is "Diet Pepsi" because it was praised as a dreamy, critically-acclaimed standout and one of Exclaim!'s Best Songs of 2024.
  • The album's core strengths are its female-led production, nostalgic-modern sonic blend, and cohesive, dance-influenced pop identity.

Themes

pop reinvention nostalgia female production girlhood dance-influenced music

Critic's Take

The best songs on Addison arrive when Rae leans into maximal, gleeful pop. Addison Rae sounds most alive on “Diet Pepsi” and “Headphones On”, where breathy vocals and earnest hooks turn flirtation and resilience into anthems. The album’s highs - from the Charli XCX-tinged rush of “New York” to the cheeky, Britney-meets-Kreayshawn wink of “Money Is Everything” - make clear why these tracks stand out as the best tracks on Addison. Overall, the record’s radical optimism and reckless abandon reward listeners seeking escapist, high-gloss pop.

Key Points

  • “Diet Pepsi” is best for its breathy vocal delivery and Lana Del Rey-tinged sensuality.
  • The album’s core strengths are relentless optimism, escapist high-gloss pop production, and audacious, playful songwriting.

Themes

fame and celebrity optimistic escapism pop reinvention romantic yearning

Critic's Take

Addison Rae arrives as a surprising, artful pop statement on Addison, and the best songs - especially “Diet Pepsi” and “Aquamarine” - make the case for Rae as more than a TikTok star. The reviewer leans into the album's dreamy synthpop and breathy vocals, arguing that tracks like “Diet Pepsi” feel current, sincere, and hard to ignore. There is pleasure in the way songs such as “Aquamarine” and “Summer Forever” echo bigger influences while retaining a purposeful, earnest effort. Ultimately, the best tracks on Addison reveal Rae's ambition and suggest she belongs in pop conversations beyond viral fame.

Key Points

  • “Diet Pepsi” stands out as the album’s most irresistible and sincere pop moment.
  • The album’s core strengths are its deliberate synthpop production, breathy vocals, and evident effort to craft artful pop beyond a TikTok persona.

Themes

synthpop artistry vs. persona influence of past pop icons effort and authenticity
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Sputnikmusic

Unknown
Jun 10, 2025
68

Critic's Take

Addison Rae's Addison is at its best when it leans into brash, maximalist pop: “Diet Pepsi” is called "a perfect song," “New York” lands as a slam-dunk, and the adventurous “High Fashion” is the album's true towering achievement. The reviewer delights in the album's highs - from the hypnotic eurodance of “Aquamarine” to the tender closer “Headphones On” - yet keeps returning to the central complaint that consistency lets those peaks down. In short, for listeners asking what the best tracks on Addison are, the review points squarely to “Diet Pepsi”, “High Fashion”, and “Aquamarine” as the standout moments that prove Rae could truly be something more.

Key Points

  • The best song is "Diet Pepsi" because the reviewer labels it "a perfect song" and positions it among the album's clear highs.
  • The album's core strength is its high peaks of inventive pop and production, but inconsistency prevents it from being essential.

Themes

celebrity metamorphosis brat-influenced pop inconsistency vs potential dance/eurodance influences Lana Del Rey comparisons

Critic's Take

In a deliciously tongue-in-cheek tone Alex Rigotti praises Addison Rae’s Addison for being gloriously glossy and flirtatiously risky, naming “Diet Pepsi” and “New York” as the album’s clearest triumphs. Rigotti frames “Diet Pepsi” as a smash where Rae’s silken voice sells pure steaminess, and points to “New York” as a wide-eyed opener that balances booty-bumping beats with eerie synth intimacy. He is candid about flaws—notably Rae’s fragile falsetto on “Summer Forever” and muted sass on “In The Rain”—yet the review keeps circling back to the record’s catchy, inventive popcraft. It makes it easy to answer “best tracks on Addison” with those standouts. Overall the critic positions Addison as bold, expressive and undeniably pop-smart, perfect for glittery, hot-pink dance parties.

Key Points

  • ‘Diet Pepsi’ is best for showcasing Rae’s silken voice and steaminess, making it the album's standout.
  • The album’s core strengths are bold popcraft, sensual vocal texture, and inventive production tempered by occasional timid delivery.

Themes

pop sensuality TikTok-to-stardom nostalgic references intimacy vs. artifice

Critic's Take

In a voice that keeps finding sly, wistful pleasures, Addison Rae’s Addison makes its case largely on the strength of singles like “Diet Pepsi” and “Aquamarine”. The review revels in Rae’s layered warmth and tangy pop craft, noting how “Diet Pepsi” buzzes with woozy warmth while “Aquamarine” channels a four-on-the-floor Madonna-ish joy. There is a persistent image of sun-kissed sensuality and workmanlike ambition that ties the best tracks together, so queries about the best songs on Addison will often point to those two tracks and the melancholic “Headphones On” as highlights. The tone is admiring without surrendering skepticism, crediting Rae’s surprising wit, moxie, and the producers’ cohesive, Korg-tinged palette.

Key Points

  • The best song is best because it balances effervescence and layered vocal warmth that recalls earlier pop stylings.
  • The album’s strengths are cohesive production, nostalgic '90s-tinged textures, and Rae’s workmanlike pop sensibility.

Themes

pop reinvention nostalgia girly glam work ethic and ambition sensual wistfulness

Critic's Take

Addison Rae's Addison positions its best tracks as the album's small triumphs: the thrumming “New York” opens with an intoxicating bang, the glitzy “Fame Is a Gun” embodies the mystique of stardom, and the back-half apex “Times Like These” crystallizes Rae's celebratory tenor. The reviewer writes in a crisp, observant tone, noting that repeat listens coax out Addison's infectious charms while the singles - especially “Diet Pepsi” and “Fame Is a Gun” - initially set an expertly curated buildup. Overall, the narrative privileges surface pleasures and cinematic pinup fantasies while crediting Rae's eagerness to honor pop forebears, explaining why listeners will seek the best songs on Addison.

Key Points

  • The best song, "New York," is prized for its intoxicating, thrumming opening that immediately hooks the listener.
  • The album's core strengths are its cinematic singles, surface pleasures, and confident homage to pop predecessors.

Themes

self-mythology self-discovery fame and identity nostalgia pop craftsmanship

Critic's Take

In her measured, slightly skeptical voice, Thania Garcia frames Addison Rae's major-label debut Addison as a studious exercise in reinvention where the best songs - most notably “Diet Pepsi” and “Aquamarine” - stake their claim through lush, sophisticated arrangements. Garcia appreciates how singles like “High Fashion” and “Headphones On” surpass earlier work, praising their glimmering, fuzzy pop melodies and clever production choices. She notes the album wears its influences openly yet still feels like Rae's narrative, and it is precisely those standout tracks that make clear why listeners ask about the best songs on Addison.

Key Points

  • The best song(s) like "Diet Pepsi" stand out for lush, sophisticated arrangements and catchy, glimmering melodies.
  • The album's core strengths are confident production, nostalgic pop touchstones, and readable emotional one-liners.

Themes

reinvention nostalgia escapism pop craftsmanship identity

Critic's Take

In his brisk, affectionate appraisal Sam Franzini celebrates Addison Rae’s debut Addison as a masterful pop tapestry where the best songs - notably “Diet Pepsi” and “Aquamarine” - crystallise the album’s strengths. Franzini lingers on the sensual chorus of “Diet Pepsi” and the glowing, spoken-verse of “Aquamarine”, arguing these tracks show Rae’s knack for mixing influence and personality. He also highlights “Headphones On” as a mesmerizing closer that reveals depth, making clear the best tracks on Addison are both immediate and revealing. The tone remains admiring but measured, praising craft while noting the pre-release singles blunt some of the record’s surprises.

Key Points

  • The best song is 'Diet Pepsi' because its sensual chorus is singled out as unforgettable and emblematic of Rae's pop craft.
  • The album's core strengths are smart production, deft homage to influences, and a balance of glossy fun with underlying melancholy.

Themes

fame and its ambivalence influence homage pop craftsmanship melancholy beneath gloss

Critic's Take

In this review Shaad D'Souza hears in Addison Rae a tasteful pop architect, and insists that Addison is driven by precise, referential pleasures. He highlights “High Fashion” as arguably the best song and praises its James Blake-era echoes, while also noting the warm 90s R&B of “Headphones On” and the EDM-tinged sweetness of “Summer Forever”. The voice throughout is admiring and exact - Rae is said to prefer big choruses, euphoric key changes and huge builds, and the record benefits from a single writer-producer through-line. Read as answers to searches for the best songs on Addison, the review points most strongly to “High Fashion”, “Headphones On” and “Summer Forever” as standout tracks that define the album's strengths.

Key Points

  • High Fashion is the best track for its pitch-perfect throwback production and James Blake echoes.
  • The album's core strengths are confident, reference-rich pop songwriting and consistent production that makes diverse songs cohere.

Themes

pop classicism reference-driven style nostalgia/throwback production TikTok/content-creator influence confidence and taste

Critic's Take

Addison Rae's Addison feels like a deliberate apprenticeship in pop, sometimes textbook and often winning. Felicity Martin savours the album's nods to Madonna, Britney and Charli XCX, singling out “New York” and “Summer Forever” as earworms that show Rae knows how to make pop work. The review praises the intimate moments like “Headphones On” and the candid take on fame in “Fame is a Gun”, arguing these tracks make the best songs on Addison because they pair glossy production with personal stakes. Overall, Martin writes that Addison earns her seat at the pop table, a verdict that frames which tracks emerge as the album's standouts.

Key Points

  • The best song is “New York” because its Charli XCX influence and nu-disco pulse make it an immediate standout.
  • The album's core strengths are its curated pop references, cohesive production by an all-female team, and moments of personal lyricism.

Themes

girlhood celebrity and fame nostalgia and Y2K/90s pop references introspection

Critic's Take

Listening to Addison Rae's Addison feels like a sunlit reintroduction that leans into glittering club-ready pop and wistful moments. The review elevates “New York” and “Fame Is a Gun” as standouts for their kinetic production and supercharged synths, and it highlights the singles “Diet Pepsi” and “Aquamarine” as the album’s strongest templates. The reviewer praises the flashes of vulnerability on “Times Like These” and “In the Rain” as giving the record unexpected depth. Overall, the critic frames the best songs on Addison as those that blend sparkling sonics with glimpses of true feeling, while noting the album sometimes drifts into dreamy repetition.

Key Points

  • The best song, "New York," is the album’s most immediate statement, delivering club-ready production and a strong sense of persona.
  • The album’s core strengths are its sparkling, dreamy production and occasional genuine vulnerability that punctures the glamour.

Themes

glamour and California ease internet fame and reinvention vulnerability beneath pop surface dance-pop and dreamlike production

Critic's Take

Addison Rae’s Addison is a dizzy, referential confection that flourishes in its best moments - namely “Aquamarine” and “High Fashion”, which showcase the record’s most convincing reinventions of Madonna and late-00s pop. Tanatat writes with a clear admiration for the production’s pastiche and the creative team’s taste, praising how tracks like “In the Rain” and “Diet Pepsi” emit an out-of-time, wonderfully nostalgic quality. Yet the reviewer’s voice remains wary: many songs feel like stylish fragments rather than songs with breadth, leaving the album charming but shallow. The best songs on Addison are singled out for their texture and ambition, even as the whole struggles to convert vibes into distinct artistic statements.

Key Points

  • “Aquamarine” is the best song because it marries convincing Ray of Light references with self-reinvention and strong visual art.
  • The album’s core strength is its impeccable, nostalgic production and visual identity, though it often favors stylish vibes over substantive songwriting.

Themes

90s/00s dance-pop pastiche nostalgia visuals and music videos surface-level lyrical content pastiche vs originality