One of the biggest criticisms around the resurgence of Addison Rae in the form of the idealized version of the rending “off-kilter pop star” is the appearance that her brand is TOO manufactured to be authentic. I have discussed on this blog many times and it’s a constant topic in the marketing and pop culture worlds that authenticity is key, now even when it comes to aspirational content.

Many have made the defensive argument of the current zeitgeist being obsessed with “[insert whatever aesthetic here] core”. But that is more aligned with someone’s approach to finding a personal identity. What happens when a to-the-very-last-detail prepared personal identity is forced onto the masses?

This current criticism of the aspiring star has seen discussion in a variety of differing niches, from pop culture thought leaders to K-Pop fans alike, a genre that is also known for its highly stylistic production of groups and their signature style.

The idea of a legacy pop idol also placed a high level of importance on the image. Leaders like Lady Gaga and Katy Perry made names for themselves with their unique and career defining styles. It’s interesting to note that in the rise of the “authentic soul-pouring singer songwriter” age we see the removal of that.

Personally, I don’t think that Addison Rae is doing any soul bearing with her music, nor do I think she wants to. (You can correct me if I’m wrong here). But, she rather wants to simply provide fun and pure pop in the same way her comparable peers are (examples including Charli XCX and ShyGirl).

With that in mind, a visual indicator of who Rae is and a means of preventing her from getting lost in the shuffle, it’s like – why not? We see a semblance of this coming back with artists like Tyla or Sabrina Carpenter, with their style becoming identifiable and almost one with their persona. And even to the point where clothing they haven’t even worn yet become synonymous with their brand.

But anyways, the main point of the criticisms isn’t the fact that she is using an image to prop up her career, but instead in the way that she’s doing it – which makes it look inauthentic.

The main proponent of this argument is that it seemingly came out of nowhere. A checklist of visual cues to establish her as the latest IT GIRL in the internet game, and I can’t say I fully disagree with that notion. While I can’t say that it completely came out of NOWHERE, I can say it is definitely being laid on a little thick.

“I compare my life to the new IT girl…”

headphones on, 2025

Addison’s “brand” I think has always been present, albeit at a smaller amount, since the beginning of her pop star career. As her debut single, “Obsessed” was released at the same era of all the TikTokers creating music as a form of a cash grab, many of elements in her song and video gave cheap impression of the idea oof a pop star would see in a sitcom.

Addison Rae on Her Pop Reinvention and Debut Single ‘Obsessed’

But there’s a faint throughline there from her inaugural single to Headphones On. You can see in short frames, the image that she’s even trying to display now.

I think with the help of her superstar creative team, she’s able to get that image but, albeit as an amalgamation of her team members’ signature styles.

Her creative director is Mel Ottenberg, known currently as his role as Editor in Chief and head curator for Interview Magazine. He is also notably known for his work with Rihanna as her former head stylist. His signature style is all over his magazine, his previous client work, and now in Addison.

His fingerprints were most noticeable for me in her “High Fashion” with a lot of the composition and editing style of the final cut looking almost like a live version of his Interview pages.

A similar major player in the Rae rebrand is Dara, celebrity stylists known for her playful personal style as well as her client work.

Although I’m unsure if officially part of her team, Addison Rae’s bestie Lexee Smith has been a name floating around when it comes to Addison’s new style.

Commentary on the two girls is reminiscent of the Gabbriette and Amelia Grey Debacle, with spectators theorizing that the rebrand of Rae came straight from Lexee’s closet. But if that’s the case, why doesn’t Lexee get the same flack for it? Is the personal style more fitting for Smith, or is it because she’s not showcasing it for the masses?

Interview Magazine: Lexee Smith and Addison Rae on Dance, Discipline, and Dressing for Chaos

It’s worth it to note that Lexee also had a hand in another celebrity’s piece of work that was called out for inauthenticity recently, in Kim Kardashian’s Santa Baby piece with Nadia Lee Cohen.

what is it these days with the war on genuine/manufactured authenticity, anyways?

I think Addison’s slight overreliance on her team’s easily recognizable and already influential viewpoints can make everything seem like a regurgitation of something that we’ve already seen before. Her use of nostalgic elements in her branding also doesn’t help her here, giving a “been there, seen that, DONE that” vibe with her work.

I wouldn’t be too quick to call Addison on that, though. Although familiar elements are present, I think she and her team do a good job at blending them in unconventional ways in her work, making way for a unique to still be found in Addison.

I think in a nonchalant culture (although I would say that as of late the tides are tuning on that mindset — see Doechii’s success sparking conversations on hard work yielding desirable results), I do think having a clear vision and using creative direction to get that vision across will always be commendable in my book.

While I do think that about her work, I’m still not convinced on the styling being fully hers.

As I mentioned earlier, I think has has a preliminary vision and with the eyes of Mel, Dara and Lexee create a sort of “-core” of what she wants her style to look like.

I think only with time can she make the style her own. Playing with styling techniques is paramount to finding personal style. Maybe giving her team a more hands-off approach for a while, with slight guidance only can give her the framework and confidence to fully gauge her personal style.