Im looking for the black Range Rover with the glittery pink license-plate frame.
Its the Sunday after Thanksgiving, and the passenger pickup at LAX is packed and lawless.
There are Chanel lipsticks and full-size bottles of Ex Nihilo perfumes in the compartment beneath the touch screen.
Welcome to my place, Rae says, giggling, as I settle in.
She just moved to a new home nearby, but shes not ready to show it off yet.
Everything about Raes 2024 has definitely felt like perfect timing.
That February, her friend Charli XCX kicked off herBratrollout by hosting a Boiler Room party in Brooklyn.
It was her first public singing performance ever.
About a month later, Charli and Rae released their second song, a remix ofBratlead single Von Dutch.
Charlis sixth album ended up defining the summer of 2024, and Rae came along for the ride.
Kill!and Bruce Conners Toni Basil-led experimental movieBreakaway.
Everything about this new Rae was strange, campy, and, most important,fun.
Its been fun to watch her evolve, Charli says.
How did an influencer create such eclectic and critically acclaimed singles?
Can she become the first person to translate TikTok fame into full-blown pop stardom?
The truth is Rae has been doing her homework, studying her idols down to their smallest moves.
Crossing over was always the plan, she says.
A couple of years ago, she stepped back from posting frequently to give her dreams a real chance.
It was a risk, knowing that people dont want to see somebody try something new.
Solos invite-only gym is packed this Monday morning.
Pictures of Kobe Bryant, Bruce Lee, and Prince hang above huge dance-studio mirrors.
Her recently bleached blond hair is in a loose ponytail.
Her New Orleans Saints cap is a bit too big, falling over her eyes.
Youre never going to be able to move to Hollywood, she explains.
The previous summer, Rae had downloaded a new app called TikTok.
For Rae, it was just another social media platform to try.
She started making videos, often lip-synching to a song or some dialogue.
She watched her follower count steadily climb.
College wasnt really working out for Rae, anyway.
Broadcast journalism wasnt the fit she hoped it would be.
I had to really reassess my goals, she says.
In October 2019, Rae broke 1 million followers on TikTok.
That December, Rae became a founding member of the Hype House, a now-defunct content-creation collective.
I felt like I was dropped in the middle ofThe Truman Show, Rae says.
Her mom went back to Louisiana and left her 19-year-old to her own devices.
It was so different and weird and fun.
I didnt feel like I was curating anything.
It felt very much like discovery.
Paparazzi would wait outside the restaurants she would frequent.
Everyone was young, hot, and hungry.
But as Covid-19 began spreading, the chaos cooled down.
Raes mom came back to L.A., this time with Raes dad and two younger brothers.
The family found a more permanent home together.
Despite her success, it certainly wasnt her goal to make a living on social media forever.
I know I can if I just get the chance to prove myself.
Izzi and Greenberg believed in her.
(I mean, who would know it better than myself?
Her managers booked her first songwriting sessions, too.
As soon as I got the opportunity to start writing music and acting, I did, she explains.
When I moved here, I was like, OK, I have to start acting classes.
I have to start singing.
I have to start these things immediately, because Im already so behind.
Rae dropped Obsessed in March 2021.
I still think that songs good, Rae says, smiling.
Obsessed was, by almost all definitions, a flop.
It was widely panned, with one critic writing that Rae should stick to lip-synching.
On Twitter, viral posts reveled in her failure.
I think theres room for constructive criticism, she says, diplomatically.
[But] it almost wasnt even about the song.
It was [about] me doing it.
That same month, she faced backlash after she performed the TikTok dances of the day onJimmy Fallon.
Viewers pointed out that they had largely originated with BIPOC choreographers who got nothing for their creations.
MEETING CHARLI XCX WAS A PIVOTAL MOMENT IN MY LIFE.
SHES BEEN A BIG SISTER AND MENTOR FOR ME.
In August, whenHes All Thatdebuted on Netflix, the reaction online was just as dismal.
Still, the reactions weighed on her.
I had to rethink everything, she explains.
Behind the scenes, she was looking for auditions and more writing sessions.
It was time to get to work.
Sitting outside is a reminder how embedded she is in Beverly Hills.
She waves down a woman who is another regular at Pauly Solos boot camps.
I missed you at class today, Rae says, Southern charm hard at work.
Smith doesnt live far from Rae, having just moved into a new spot.
As theyre making plans to hang later, a group of girls boldly approaches our table.
We dont want to interrupt, but were massive fans, says one, still in her school uniform.
Our friend dressed as you for Halloween!
Theres a Lorde and an Ariana Grande and, as promised, an Addison Rae.
Clearly thrilled, Rae gasps, then smiles wide for a selfie with them.
[Meeting] Charli XCX was an obviously pivotal moment in my life, Rae tells me.
She has been such a big sister and mentor for me.
After dropping Obsessed, Rae started taking more studio sessions with other writers and producers.
Charli, who was recording 2022sCrashat the time, was one of them.
She remembers the spark she felt meeting Rae at a West Hollywood studio that day.
and then immediately was like, Wait, we should write a song about that!
Charli listened to some of Raes other songs, like 2 Die 4, which Charli loved.
Even though Rae was starting to assemble a dream team of collaborators, her debut project was eventually shelved.
It felt so terrible, she admits.
She still doesnt know how they were stolen.
I was really hurt.
People began begging for Rae to release them.
Charli was begging to beonthem.
Charli had texted me and was like, I heard 2 Die 4 leaked.
You know I love that song.
Let me do a verse, Rae says.
Multiple critics called the songs flawless, while others compared her to Britney Spears.
Im not super religious, but I am spiritual, Rae says.
I think everything happened for a reason.
Thank God the songs leaked.
There were a lot of people that could not be less interested, she admits.
They set up a meeting.
I walked in with a binder, and I made a slideshow, Rae says.
I just mood-boarded my vibes.
I literally had no music to play him at that point, so it was about trust.
Like, Yes, Im in the clouds, and I enjoy being there.
But Im also serious.
Perry was impressed and ended up signing Rae in late 2023.
Around then, Charli reached out again, this time about the Von Dutch remix.
[Charli] respected me and my ideas, Rae tells me.
I owe that all to Charli.
We were both shocked [that] her taste leaned very left and underground at times, Kloser adds.
I THINK GLAMOUR IS JUST EVERYTHING.
I WANT TO BE PRIM AND POISED.
MARILYN MONROE NEVER SAID YALL.
(You look good, you feel good, you do good.)
The three women listened to music all day, but werent getting far with their ideas.
As the session neared its end, they decided to try one more idea.
Luka started playing the piano, and then literally, it was like magic, Rae remembers.
They began humming a melody that would end up becoming the chorus of Diet Pepsi.
When they were at the MxM offices, Martin himself would sometimes say hi.
I had told him I struggle with talking about things that are really close to me, she recalls.
As we drive around, Rae plays me more tracks from the album.
Theres no ego or self-seriousness; as we hear her exclaim Im the richest girl in the world!
toward the end of one track, she laughs at herself with her whole body from behind the wheel.
After Rae wrote that line, she built a collage of shoes and glamorous things and Marilyn Monroe.
In fact, almost every song would begin with Rae sharing a mood board with Kloser and Anderfjard.
With Addison, it can come down to a rock she saw, Kloser adds.
Shell bring up a specific tree and say, This is what Diet Pepsi feels like.
And if Addison Rae says that tree is Diet Pepsi, that tree is Diet Pepsi.
THERES NO SHORTAGE of things Addison Rae loves.
Ilovea yogurt for breakfast, she says after asking what I had to eat that morning.
I think glamour is just everything, she had told me earlier in the day.
I want to be prim and poised, she admits.
Marilyn Monroe never said yall.
For a long time, dancing allowed Rae to find the poise she craved.
Rae began studying ballet, jazz, and contemporary styles when she was six.
It was an escape, to dance.
Her childhood was rarely steady.
Moving schools a million times, I had to just keep making new friends, she says.
If I get thrown into a scenario, I can figure it out pretty quickly.
Having grown up in a Catholic family and community, Rae attended multiple private, religious schools.
A move to Houston marked the first time she attended public school, an overwhelming shift.
Before she started high school, they moved again, this time to Shreveport.
I remember being like, Whoa, music is everything, she recalls.
Lopez and Easterling danced alongside her, building their own followings on the app.
It made sense for me to keep my family involved.
I think I was scared and I was alone.
After a couple of years, the family dynamic began to fall apart.
Their second divorce was confirmed that November.
At the time, Rae was silent about the drama, aside from unfollowing both her mom and dad.
Eventually, her parents reached a better place, but the situation left a fracture.
I think its just unfortunate that it was exposed like it was.
She began seeing a therapist and says her relationship with her parents is always a work in progress.
(While she still hasnt refollowed her dad on Instagram, she follows her mom again.)
Easterling, Lopez, and Raes brothers moved back to Lafayette in 2023.
Easterling remarried last year and has massively pulled back on her own social media presence.
Lopez remains active on TikTok.
Everybody just wants to survive.
Cant blame them, Rae adds.
I can only take responsibility for the things that I chose.
Rae still believes in love.
In fact, sheloveslove.
The Libra in me is a hopeless romantic, she says.
When I ask if shes still dating Fedi, she confirms in a shy, quiet voice.
I think he cheated on me, Rae says matter-of-factly.
He says he didnt.
When the relationship ended, Rae didnt talk much about it; Hall, however, did.
He repeatedly denied the cheating accusations.
That was a shit show, she says.
He was very vocal about everything, and it was a mess.
Shes less angry now.
Rae doesnt like to dwell on these memories; shes not big on sadness, especially in her work.
I applaud people that can do that.
Sitting with your emotions in stillness is difficult…. ITD BE SO FUN to have a dog right now … a dog or a cigarette.
Its a chilly afternoon, and we have the beach to ourselves.
At least we thought we did.
Is this a nude beach?
says a man who cant be much older than 35.
You look like youre having fun, Rae says before he continues his walk along the water.
When hes out of earshot, Rae informs me that this is definitelynota nude beach.
Inspired nonetheless, she strips off her blue silk button-down to let her black lace bustier air out.
Rae takes issue with a few misconceptions about her.
For starters, she doesnt let tabloid photographers know where shell be.
Dont you think if I called the paparazzi I would look better in all these photos?
For all the excitement that follows her, Raes life is pretty quiet.
Shes not big on partying.
Shell go out dancing but is a lightweight with drinking.
Shell smoke weed occasionally, and regardless of gossip-y assumptions online, she definitely does not do cocaine.
I have a lot of energy, and I talk really crazy, she says.
Thats just who I am.
Rae has maintained several close relationships with some very famous friends.
Plaza and Dan Levy were the only cast members on location in Bulgaria before Rae joined them.
Levy and Plaza immediately hit it off with Rae.
That is such a rare quality in a person, especially somebody with her social media standing.
The trio would play poker on set, eventually graduating to Bulgarian casinos.
She got better, Levy jokes.
But her allure got her far.
Rae walked out with over $1,000.
I was like, Theres my baby girl blowing up, Plaza says.
You could just tell she has a star quality.
Her choreographies seem so beautiful to me.
I love how she brings the 2000s American pop star back to these days.
AS THE SKY TURNS pink and the sun begins to set, Rae grows tired of talking about herself.
She starts throwing questions my way: What kind of animal would I be?
Would I ever be a nun?
Will Rihanna ever release more music?
(A lion, absolutely not, and I wish I knew, respectively.)
No matter how much one adores fame, it can still be prickly.
(Her first and only political endorsement came in 2024, for Kamala Harris.)
People have decided who I am, she says.
Shes savored every curveball shes been able to throw, though.
She loves watching the surprise on peoples faces when they hear her music or see her daring red-carpet looks.
But she still doesnt mind leaning into the all-American side of herself.
Rae may seem unbothered, but shes still logged on.
She knows everything she does starts a conversation, for better or worse.
She sees the rumors and the questions and the misunderstandings.
At the very least, she no longer worries that her career can persist in spite of it.
She knows it can.
After our snacks, we go for a walk.
The naked man is gone.
Thats that full moon for me, she says.
But theres no need to dwell on the past.
But I wont beg for it, she says.
Ill work for it.
Production Credits
Styling ByMEL OTTENBERGatTOTAL WORLD.
Hair by Lucas Wilson atDAY ONE STUDIOSUsingGA.MA PROFESSIONALandAMIKA.
Makeup Lead Assistant:JENNA KUCHERAatPAT MCGRATH.
Nails byMEI KAWAJIRIatRED REPRESENTSusingCHANELBEAUTY.
Set Design byLAUREN NIKROOZat11TH HOUSE AGENCY.
Tailoring byMARIA DEL GRECOatLARS NORD STUDIOS.
Lighting Director:JODOKUS DRIESSEN.
Digital Technician:BRIAN ANDERSON.
Photographic Assistance:FYODOR SHIRYAEV.
Styling Assistance:ROMY SAFIYAH&CHLOE SHAAR.
Hair Styling Assistance:CODY AINEY.
Makeup Assistance:MIO HATTORIandCASSANDRA RAIMUNDI.
