Addison Rae looked like a 1950s Hollywood pinup star as she posed in a sheer pink lace leotard for the February cover of Rolling Stone magazine.
The beauty talked to writer Brittany Spanos about her rise to fame via TikTok, to starring in movies like He’s All That and Thanksgiving, and now making pop music.
Turns out she has had fun doing a 180 from her good-girl-next-door image she used to find an audience on social media to her devilish wild-child persona she employs for her music career.
‘I’ll be your girl next door but maybe there’s a wild side to the girl next door,’ she explained to Rolling Stone.
Addison thanked the publication for making her childhood dream come true and appearing on the cover in a sexy pose.
‘When all that’s left is kindness and love, choose that❤️….it makes your dreams come true,’ wrote the siren.
Addison Rae posed in a sheer pink lace leotard for the February cover of Rolling Stone. The beauty talked to writer Brittany Spanos about her rise to fame via TikTok, to starring in movies and now making pop music
She added, ‘Thank you so much Rolling Stone!! Thank you Brittany for hanging out and getting to know me for 2 days. I am overwhelmed with gratitude. Thank you to everyone who made this shooting star wish come to life. I love you all so much!!!’
Rae ended with: ‘Feeling very transformative and naked. In the best way of course. I am so blessed.’
Around 2019, Rae established herself as a TikTok star, becoming one of the internet’s most obsessed-over figures in the business.
Last year, though, she began to make serious moves as a pop star.
She earned a major co-sign from Charli XCX, appearing on a remix of Brat lead single Von Dutch.
And she scored offbeat hits like Diet Pepsi and Aquamarine.
Rae reinvented herself with those songs, taking ‘a John Waters left turn, like a cheerleader who got lost in her high school’s art department,’ as Rolling Stone cover story writer and editor Brittany Spanos puts it.
Spanos talked to Addison for two days in Los Angeles in December. They did a bootcamp workout at her invite-only gym then shopped at Trashy Lingerie.
Turns out she has had fun doing a 180 from her good girl next door image she used to find an audience to her devilish wild child persona she employs for her music career. ‘I’ll be your girl next door but maybe there’s a wild side to the girl next door,’ she explained; seen in December
Addison thanked the publication for making her childhood dream come true and appearing on the cover in a sexy pose. ‘When all that’s left is kindness and love, choose that❤️….it makes your dreams come true,’ wrote the siren
Rae said she knew that TikTok would open some very big doors for her.
‘Even though it was still at such a small scale, I think I was like, “This is how I’m going to be able to do what I’ve always wanted to do,”‘ said Addison.
On criticism of her debut single, 2023’s Obsessed: ‘I think there’s room for constructive criticism. [But] it almost wasn’t even about the song. It was [about] me doing it.’
And she is appreciative of fellow star Charli XCX’s mentorship.
‘[Charli] respected me and my ideas. It was the first time I really took the step on my own to be confident in the ideas I had and follow that. I owe that all to Charli.’
Legendary pop producer Max Martin gave her some sound advice.
‘I had told him I struggle with talking about things that are really close to me.
‘He’s like, “The only way you’re going to really push yourself [is] to say things that are true and real. Once you spill it out, you can always take it down, but if you start shallow, it’s hard to bump it up.”‘
Rae ended with: ‘Feeling very transformative and naked. In the best way of course. I am so blessed.’ Seen in December
On her first meeting with Columbia Records: ‘I walked in with a binder, and I made a slideshow. I just mood-boarded my vibes. I literally had no music to play him at that point, so it was about trust. Like, “Yes, I’m in the clouds, and I enjoy being there. But I’m also serious.”‘
On drama within her family, whom she pulled them into the fold of her fame: ‘I feel a lot of guilt for what my family experienced, and responsibility. I think it’s just unfortunate that it was exposed like it was.’
On her ex, fellow creator Bryce Hall, who has since become a celebrity boxer and one of the leading Gen Z MAGA bros: ‘I believe there’s good in everyone, so I like to think there’s a good part of him.’
On TikTok potentially being banned: ‘That’s that full moon for me. TikTok definitely gave me a lot of things, so it would be really sad to [see it] go, but hopefully the things that I create and put out surpass that platform.’
Charli XCX on Rae’s rise a
s a pop star: ‘It’s been fun to watch her evolve. Everything she does relates back to her art — every item of clothing she wears, everything she says in a red-carpet interview, everything she tweets — it all is a part of the world-building.’
The shoot is by Inez & Vinoodh.
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