Latest news with #FameisaGun
The Sun
01-08-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Addison Rae churns out serviceable beats in debut album
BEFORE venturing into music full-time, Addison Rae was a popular content creator on TikTok. Like most Gen Zs, Rae's feed mainly consisted of dance videos, lip-syncs and comedic skits with other creators on the app. But in 2021, the 24-year-old dipped her toes into music with the release of her debut single Obsessed. The venture was cut short due to a slew of negative reviews, which prompted Rae to seek refuge in acting and cosmetics. The hiatus did not last long as Rae found moderate success with her debut EP AR. Almost two years later, the Louisiana native returns more ready than ever to delve further in music, releasing a full-length album Addison. Pop in mind Throughout the album's 12 tracks, Rae immerses herself in the various forms of pop, expressing her musicality through trip hop, dance-pop and house music. Coming from a strong dance background and adoring pop music, Rae envisioned Addison to be a dance record. The album's first introduction itself is a straightforward impression of this. Though moody in nature, Diet Pepsi moves listeners with its dreamy synth pop melody, while singing of the immortal feeling of young love. The rest of the album mimics this vision too. From the opening track New York to the last track Headphones On, the album is made for pop music lovers in mind. Its simple yet infectious productions will have you singing and dancing along to its fun and lively nature. Fame is a Gun, Times Like These and Aquamarine are offerings to look forward to on Addison. Convincing transition Considering her background as a professional dancer, it seems appropriate for Rae to adopt this musical direction. The songstress has adequate dancing skills and vocal chops to pull this aspiration off. Many personalities of her nature, before her – be it reality stars or social media personalities – often struggle to make the crossover to the music world. It is, therefore, commendable of her to make a convincing musical debut. Her musical efforts have dissociated her from the previous personality she crafted on TikTok. The majority of listeners will indeed view her solely as a new artiste, increasing the probability that her musical aspirations are taken seriously. Carbon copy That said, not much is exciting about her tracks. While they can be pleasing to the ear, they are not memorable. They do not make a lasting impact on most casual listeners. Their lack of originality is the reason for this. Rae's songs do not have much individuality to them. They can pass off as other artistes' work in the current pop landscape. Songs such as Diet Pepsi, Headphones On and Fame is a Gun, for instance, are reminiscent of the early works of Lana Del Ray and Britney Spears. Lack of range Another issue with Addison is the absence of musical diversity. The songs on the album closely resemble one another. Be it the song's progression or Rae's vocal technique, there is a common set of elements that are recycled throughout the record. The tempos are the only differentiating factor. She may have done this to be sonically cohesive, but this prevents Rae from demonstrating her musical range. In return, this may discourage listeners from staying on for more. If Rae strives to be known for her singles rather than albums, her current efforts will lead her there. Judging from her interviews and performances, this is clearly not the case. If anything, Rae has the potential to be among pop's new generation of promising artistes. The Diet Pepsi hitmaker just needs a bit more time to sharpen her musical identity. Addison, overall, passes off as a serviceable musical offering. It may not be remarkable, but it certainly has the treats to keep you afloat in the meantime.
New Statesman
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New Statesman
Addison Rae and the art of AgitPop
Photo byfor Coachella 'TikTok made Addison Rae famous,' went a New York Times headline last week, 'Pop made her cool' it concluded. This is perfectly standard coverage for Rae, who was once a TikTok dancer, and has made a sudden U-turn into avant-garde art pop. But the music, while very good, is far from the full story; her coolness comes from a mass of deliberately-curated cultural associations. Almost all of them can be traced back to one specific, storied publication. And the publication itself is in on the scheme. Wherever she goes you can generally find someone from Interview magazine, the New York culture bible founded by Andy Warhol and revived after a brief financial collapse in 2018. Rae's first Interview appearance was in 2021, but since the beginning of her leftfield rebrand last summer the magazine's staff have made a distinct imprint on her public image. Mel Ottenberg, Interview's editor-in-chief, has interviewed her twice for his own magazine, styled her for an Interview shoot, styled her for a Rolling Stone profile, interviewed with her for Vogue, and creative-directed two of her music videos (Diet Pepsi; Aquamarine). Dara Allen, Interview's current fashion director, has styled four of her music videos, as well as multiple red carpet and stage appearances. Richard Kern, who shot the notorious Ssense fashion campaign in which Rae holds a cigarette between her toes(!), surfaces regularly as an interviewer and photographer. The styling assistants on Interview's masthead have followed Rae to almost all her music video shoots; her hair and makeup teams also work frequently on the magazine. She's contributed playlists and runway commentary; at the end of last year she was profiled 'crashing the Interview staff holiday party.' Rae is not the only singer to get a stamp of approval from Interview. But this is different. Addison Rae's new public persona is supposed to be that of a starlet propped up by a Warholian cabal. Everything about her debut album points towards this bit of reimagined history. The 1970s-tinged Fame is a Gun video seems to draw from Warhol's heyday of Studio 54 and the Factory, complete with nightclub mezzanine, Debbie Harry cosplay, and lurid gold costumes; a real crystal ball briefly conjures up the mythos of Interview. In Aquamarine, we get another hit of bizarro New York by way of the cult ritual from Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut. The parts of Rae's visual work that seem new to onlookers are actually very old; they're part of the continuous and distinctly gay cultural canon preserved, for the most part, by Interview. Softcore filmmaker Russ Meyer was both an early influence on John Waters and a major visual reference for the Diet Pepsi video; the video for High Fashion, which cuts between ruby slippers and piles of cocaine, is a Hollywood Babylon-style nod to Judy Garland's dark side. Almost every critic so far has pointed to Madonna, whose various sonic and visual phases are referenced constantly on the album. The singer was a personal friend of Warhol and has been part of the Interview universe since the early 80s. She used the same tactics as Rae to engineer her alternative crossover: much of her cultural power originally came from relentless visual injections of arthouse cinema, Old Hollywood and the last days of disco. It worked for her in the days of monoculture, when there was only one MTV and a comparatively limited number of press outlets. It is set to work even more effectively for the TikTok age Rae once stood for; her sort of viral fame was easy to engineer from a bedroom, but it carried no longevity or cultural legitimacy. Cavorting with a megalithic institution like Interview might be the solution. Almost every other pop star has taken from the past, but the references on Rae's debut album are special; they distinguish her by linking to a coherent historical inheritance, the way Chinese dynasties jostled for heavenly approval by modelling themselves after each other. Everyone wins. The Interview editorial team get to bid for legitimacy as a Hollywood-style star machine; and like Madonna, Addison Rae gets to write herself into history. Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe [See more: Lorde's Brat moment] Related
UPI
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- UPI
Listen: Addison Rae releases debut album, 'Times Like These' music video
1 of 3 | Addison Rae released her debut album Friday. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo June 6 (UPI) -- Addison Rae released her debut album, Addison, on Friday. The singer, 24, also dropped a music video to accompany the 10th track, "Times Like These." In that song, Rae wrestles with the feeling that "life moves faster than me." "Can't feel the ground beneath my feet," she sings. The video opens with Rae traveling near the ocean with an apparent lover. Viewers later see her in a dressing room, preparing for a performance. In May, she released the song "Fame is a Gun" and its music video. She previously released "Diet Pepsi," "Aquamarine," "High Fashion" and "Headphones On." The album also includes the songs "New York," "Money is Everything," "Lost & Found," "Summer Forever," "In the Rain" and "Life's No Fun Through Clear Waters."
Cosmopolitan
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
Addison Rae 'Fame Is a Gun' Lyrics, Explained
Addison Rae—or Addison, as she prefers to be called—wants to be a pop star, and she's not afraid to say it. Her unapologetic desire for fame, fortune, and pop icon status is on full display in her new single, 'Fame is a Gun.' Addison dropped the new single and music video on Friday, May 30, and after one listen, it's clear that the 'Fame is a Gun' lyrics are a defiant declaration of her pop star intentions, as well as a message to all her haters. The fourth single off her upcoming album, Addison, 'Fame is a Gun' is a rebuke to all the criticism she's gotten as she transitions from TikTok darling to pop super star. Did you watch the music video for 'Diet Pepsi' in shock? Were you scandalized when she attended the VMAs in an elevated bra and underwear set? Well, Addison's got a message for you—she doesn't care!—and she's going to tell you why over a catchy, club-friendly electro-pop beat. Obsessed yet? Thought so. Let's dive deeper into the 'Fame is a Gun' lyrics (provided by Genius) to really fall in love. [Verse 1]Tell me who I am, do I provoke you with my tone of innocence?Don't ask too many questions, that is my one suggestionYou know I keep it real, I live for the appealKnew it from the start, it was the only way to mend my broken heartDon't ask too many questions, this is my one confessionIt never was enough, I always wanted moreI always wanted more [Chorus]Fame is a gun and I point it blindCrash and burn girl, baby, swallow it dryYou got a front row seat and II got a taste of the glamorous lifeRight from the start, Addison is calling out those who want her to remain the teenage TikToker she once was and who might not understand why she's pivoting to a more sexy look. In the first verse, she's letting you know it's not that complicated ('Don't ask too many questions') she wants to be famous—aka live a 'glamorous life'—pure and simple. [Verse 2]There's no mystery, I'm gonna make it, gonna go down in historyDon't ask too many questions, God gave me the permissionAnd when you shame me, it makes me want it moreIt makes me want it more, more Here, Addison is unabashedly declaring that she wants to be famous and 'go down in history.' And, when naysayers call her outfits too revealing or try to shame her for her more risqué lyrics, it just makes her want to be more edgy, more revealing, more famous. [Chorus 2] Fame is a gun and I point it blind (Blind)Crash and burn girl, baby, swallow it dry (Dry)You got a front row seat and II got a taste of the glamorous life (Life)Love is a drug that I can't deny (Deny)I'm your dream girl, but you're not my typeYou got a front row seat and II got a taste of the glamorous life (Uh-huh) Addison adds a bit to the chorus the second time around, singing, 'Love is a drug that I can't deny,' but I don't think she's talking about romantic love. It's the love and adoration from fans that she can't get enough of. [Post-Chorus]Glamorous lifeGlamorous lifeGlamorous lifeI got a taste for the glamorous life [Bridge]Nothing makes me feel as goodAs being loved by youNothing makes me feel as goodAs being loved by you [Chorus 2] [Outro]I got a taste of the glamorous life (Uh-huh)I got a taste of the glamorous life With 'Fame is a Gun,' Addison is making it clear that not only does she intend to continue to captivate the pop world, she's doing so unapologetically and without reserve. And I can't wait to hear what she drops next.
UPI
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- UPI
Listen: Addison Rae releases 'Fame is a Gun,' new single from 'Addison'
1 of 3 | Addison Rae arrives on the red carpet at the MTV Video Music Awards "VMAs" in 2024. She released new music Friday. File Photo by Derek C. French/UPI | License Photo May 30 (UPI) -- Addison Rae is back with new music. The singer, 24, released the song "Fame is a Gun" and its music video Friday, ahead of her upcoming album, Addison, which arrives June 6. The "Fame is a Gun" music video shows the singer in a blonde wig, pink trench coat and large dark sunglasses. "You got a front row seat and I -- I got a taste of the glamorous life," she sings in a nod to Sheila E.'s 1984 song "The Glamorous Life." The 12-track album will include the previously released songs "Diet Pepsi," "Aquamarine," "High Fashion" and "Headphones On." Other songs include "New York," "Money is Everything," "Lost & Found," "Summer Forever," "In the Rain," "Times Like These" and "Life's No Fun Through Clear Waters."
