It's Addison Rae's World, We're Just Living in It
No one's doing it quite like Addison Rae.
In an astonishingly short period of time, Rae has blossomed from perpetually smiley TikTok dancer into boundary-pushing pop star and style icon.
While celebrating the release of her new single, "Aquamarine," and accompanying music video (whose creative team includes heavyweights like Safdie Brothers collaborator Sean Price Williams, Interview editor-in-chief Mel Ottenberg, and makeup artist Pat McGrath), Rae donned an outfit that was part Y2K clubwear, part Edie Sedgwick.
An inimitable mash-up, indeed.
Referencing her new song, ostensibly named after the 2006 movie about a teen mermaid, Rae donned a seashell bra and fishnet stockings in a bright shade of turquoise that one could call, well, aquamarine.
Accessorizing the look with a chandelier necklace, fur stole, oversized sunglasses, and a huge Prada purse, Rae looked like she was about to hit Andy Warhol's factory, if the artist's famed hangout existed today and relocated to Los Angeles.
While posing for the paparazzi, Rae — a former Highsnobiety FRONTPAGE star — unabashedly puffed on a cigarette, perhaps a nod to that time she proclaimed, "Ew, I hate vaping! Smoke a cigarette." The "Aquamarine" video also appears to harken to the moment — in one scene, she smokes two cigs at once.
As we've previously written, Rae's style manages to strike a balance between referential and contemporary, treading a middle ground that captures both the spontaneity of the early 2000s and the self-awareness of our social media-saturated present day.
People began picking up on Addison Rae's unexpected genius when she released "Diet Pepsi" in August. The music video, also directed by Sean Price Williams, referenced cinematic cult classics like Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! and Breakaway — not quite what you'd expect from someone who got her start doing TikTok dances.
Her canny cultural references and fearless 'fits have led some to describe Rae as 2024's answer to Lady Gaga. Rae's ascent to art-pop stardom certainly wasn't on our bingo card — but consider us seated for the Rae-naissance.
