“AR” by social media mogul Addison Rae is tailored to torment retail workers for the next six months.
The self-titled pop EP released on Aug. 18 consists of four tracks that exude vapid pop princess “realness” coupled with exceptionally basic lyricism.
With every song barely hitting three minutes, the EP seems to be meticulously designed for short attention spans.
Rae’s prominent presence in various social media platforms, especially TikTok, has effectively leveraged her online persona to carve a niche for herself within the music industry.
Rae has the fourth most followed account on TikTok,with over 88 million followers emerging from her roots as a beloved member of the Hype House.
The Hype House is a now disbanded TikTok influencer group known for producing collaborative short-form dance, lip-sync and comedic content.
Rae seamlessly repositioned herself from a Southern sweetheart TikTok girl to a fashion icon, and now a budding pop artist.
Obviously, Rae has an entire team behind her laying out her new celebrity persona: stylists, makeup artists, PR professionals and agents. The original TikTok influencer from 2019 is almost unrecognizable today.
Coming from a popstar with social media influencer roots, this EP is exactly what you would expect: 10 minutes of sickly saccharine, surface-level pop music.
“I got it bad” is reminiscent of Britney Spears at her peak, minus the production quality and musical complexity. The 90’s-inspired pop track, though graced with Rae’s pleasant vocals, is unfortunately plagued by weak lyricism.
The song details her unexpectedly falling for a boy that “could ruin her life” and “drives like a maniac in his black Range Rover.”
Currently the most popular song on the EP with over 2 million streams on Spotify is “2 die 4” featuring Charli XCX. Unfortunately, the instrumental is uninspiring and sounds like the late 2010s in a bad way. I especially hate the fake snapping sound that holds the listener's hand through the beat in the opening verse.
Charli XCX is a big name collaborator for the pop genre Rae is trying to break into, but I believe Charli’s vocal delivery outperforms Rae on her own EP. “My taste, to die for. My waist, to die for. This boom-boom bass, to die for. I-I-I want someone who thinks I'm to diе for,” speaks to the desire for male attention that is present throughout the entire EP.
“Nothing On (But The Radio)” is my favorite song on the EP.
The song is Lady Gaga scrap from her “Born This Way” era that never made it to an actual album release. The Gaga influence shines through in both the production and the clever lyricism in a way that stands out from the other tracks in the EP. Good writing is sadly hard to come by in “AR.”
While the song is easily the most enjoyable for me to sit through, what sets apart Gaga and Rae is vocal prowess.
The EP ends on its weakest note with “it could’ve been u.” The inconsistency in the capitalization between the song titles pisses me off. Much like the rest of the album, this song sounds like an amalgamation of other radio pop songs. The entire song sounds recycled.
Rae’s debut single “Obsessed” is a Spotify bonus track that feels like an unwelcome guest at a party as it clashes with the rest of the EP. To Rae’s credit, “AR” is a significant step up from “Obsessed,” but she still has a long way to go in terms of improving her skills as a singer.
The lyrics throughout the EP feel AI generated, consisting of generic musings about desire and wanting to be desired from the perspective of a young woman, discovering herself and her sexuality.
This is not to bash on the subject matter. I believe that relatable content can be extremely influential in the societal psyche that is the “teenage girl” or the “young woman.”
But if you’re going to do something that has been done a million times over, you have to find a way to set yourself apart. The pop music industry has a tendency that leans towards bland, impersonal lyricism and lazy production.
“AR,” is an auditory experience that happens when you flip through the clothing racks at Hollister or Forever 21, where this EP would certainly find a cozy home.
