How Addison Rae’s Rebrand Made the World Her Oyster
“The world is my oyster and I’m the only girl” - lyrics from “Aquamarine” song by Addison.
I’m bitter about online personalities taking up artistic spaces ( nepo babies included) but I can't deny how well Addison’s team rebranded her into a pop princess ahead of her debut album.
If Addison is the highest paid TikToker of 2022, alongside the D’Amelio sisters, according to Forbes, you’d think her next career step would be a piece of cake. From acting to launching cosmetic lines, nothing seemed to stick. Anytime Addison tried to move on from being another influencer dancing on your For You page, she faced heavy online criticism instead.
There was one thing left for Addison to check off her list: become a pop star.
Now, how did Addison get rid of the perception that she would just be another TikToker who failed to further their career? Here are my takeaways from the rebrand and how her team made “Addison” happen.
Prioritizing artistic credibility from online persona
While this kind of reset isn’t uncommon during a rebrand, Addison completely wiped out her Instagram page in 2023 and adopted a mysterious online presence. This is an uncommon decision for an online persona to commit to since their income comes from online engagement.
Addison’s musical evolution from mainstream pop to a more soft, Y2K influenced sound alsohelped her build credibility as an artist. This change was needed after her first EP in 2021, “AR”, sparked backlash, despite featuring Charli XCX.
Strategic partnerships do wonders
Social climbing was a big step towards success. Addison's TikTok career shifted to celebrity status once she began a friendship with Kourtney Kardashian. What could they both possibly have in common?
Collaborating with Charli XCX on a remix for “Von Dutch,” the first single released for BRAT, went viral and gave Addison’s followers an idea of what was coming next.
Addison’s first major support act came shortly after her album release for Lana Del Rey’s Wembley stadium shows in the summer of 2025 before heading onto her own U.S tour.
Name Change
Stage names help create unique branding for artists, in this case it was to separate her TikTok persona from her pop star persona. Addison spoke with Elle magazine in an interview where she shared, “I feel like I’ve surpassed Addison Rae. It's just Addison now.” After this announcement to become just Addison, it came with the release of her song, “Headphones On.”
Overall, Addison seems to not forget her roots and recognizes that it furthered her career instead of ignoring the embarrassment of where it all started. “All of that led me to where I am right now, " she shares in the same interview with Elle magazine. Addison received her flowers when her album charted in the top ten billboard charts upon release and became a grammy nominated artist at the end of 2025.
Bio: Jazlyn Vazquez is Senior at California State University, Northridge, pursuing a bachelor’sdegree in Public Relations with a minor in Marketing. In 2024, Jazlyn was the creative director for CSUN Trends, a student-run organization that educates and promotes interests in topics within the fashion industry. She aspires to pursue a career in the fashion industry, seeking a role in Marketing or PR.