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Addison Rae is one of the few celebrities that changed their public persona. She was once branded as only another dancing TikToker, but in the past few years she's been making significant strides to become a true pop star, actress, and cultural tastemaker, and virality and artistry do not have to go hand-in-hand.
The For You Page is a journey from Louisiana to the For You Page.
Addioson Rae was born October 6, 2000, in Lafayette, Louisiana and began dancing competitively at age six. A little bit at Louisiana State University studying broadcast journalism with aspirations of becoming a sports broadcaster, but it was not to be. She has been posting dance videos on TikTok since 2019, and after a few months, she had more than one million followers. She left school, went to LA and never looked back. She now has tens of millions of followers on the app, and is one of the app's most iconic stars during the early days.
Creating an Empire beyond Dance-Videos
Rae didn't have any time to waste diversifying. She signed with talent agency, WME, founded a cosmetics line, Item Beauty, began a fragrance line, and even did a podcast with her mother. In 2021, she appeared in the Netflix teen comedy series He's All That and in 2023, the horror movie Thanksgiving. She has also been a spokesperson for several fashion brands and has graced the stage of several national ads, including one that aired in the Super Bowl.
The Music Pivot Nobody Expected
Rae's first foray into a music career, such as through her 2021 debut single "Obsessed," hasn't been successful — she has previously gone on record saying that "messy" is her sound during that time. She didn't drop the ball, though, and her artistry was recreated from surprising sources – experimental pop, early 2000s R&B production and collaborators like Charli XCX. That reimagined was rewarded. Her single, "Diet Pepsi" from 2024, was a genuine hit, hitting the Platinum certification and making her a first time appearance on the Billboard Hot 100.
The momentum continued on her debut studio album titled Addison which was released in June 2025. Her debut album came out at #4 on Billboard 200 and received universal critical praise, with critics admiring her for mixing in a nostalgic pop flavor with a definitive sound all her own. The success of the record was followed by her first headlining tour in North America, Europe and Australia, as well as high level shows at festivals around the world, such as Coachella and Lollapalooza. Rae's musical rebrand was complete when she got a nomination for Best New Artist, and several publications, such as The Guardian and The Washington Post, included her and her album in the Best of 2025 lists.
A Y2K Icon for a New Generation
In addition to her music prowess, Rae has emerged as a fashion star, helping to bring back early-2000's styles such as low-rise jeans, wired headphones, and navel piercings. The style is described as homage to the late '90s and Y2K pop stars, and has found its way into partnerships with brands such as Lucky Brand, Marc Jacobs, and Lululemon.
Speaking Up
As her platform has expanded, Rae has begun to leverage it more and more to express her opinions on social and political issues including reproductive rights, immigration, and has been vocal in her support of the trans community. She's also proved her willingness to stand up for herself in court: In 2026, she filed copyright infringement claims over one of her songs being used without permission in a government recruitment video.
What's Next
Rae's fire has not begun to wane with a stint in Animal Friends (with Ryan Reynolds and Aubrey Plaza), nor has it slowed with a steady stream of music and cultural moments. From amateur video-ing teens' dances in her bedroom to a multi-hyphenate career in music, film, fashion and activism — it's made her one of the more interesting stories of reinvention in modern pop culture.
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