Pearls, Pop, and Provocateur

Addison Rae’s Aquamarine is a glittering step into music superstardom, casting off her TikTok roots with dreamy beats, flirtatious lyrics, and visuals that channel Madonna’s and Britney’s iconic eras. Set in a world of pearls and underwater glamor, Aquamarine blends nostalgia with Rae’s fresh confidence, proving she’s pop’s new princess.

It comes as a surprise to, well, no one, that yours truly has become somewhat of an Addison Rae aficionado in recent times. So I was more than ready to plunge into the depths of her aquatic world, where pop is playful, the lyrics are flirtatious, and the visuals are sumptuous. With Aquamarine, Rae wholly abandons her TikTok roots to reveal a radiant transformation, a sound and image that feel like glittering sea foam, echoing Madonna’s golden era, and flirting shamelessly with Britney’s iconic pop cheek. Released hot on the heels of her viral hit “Diet Pepsi”, this track is no mere B-side. It’s a meticulously crafted, shimmering pop opus that flaunts Rae’s commitment to a fresh brand of sensual, cinematic pop. And yes, this time, she’s donning the Heart of the Ocean necklace as if to say, “I’m king of the pop world now.”

With each carefully sculpted release, Rae is moving further from the one-dimensional TikTok star label. She’s stepping into a role we’re not quite used to seeing on the pop scene these days, a boundary-blurring “it” girl with a wink and a don’t-take-this-too-seriously vibe. Sure, Aquamarine might sound like a late 90s pop dream, but Rae is doing something else altogether: she’s embracing the over-the-topness of her fame and turning it into art. From the get-go, with lines like, “The world is my oyster, baby, come touch the pearl,” Rae’s lyrics toe the line between high-fashion camp and modern pop seduction. She’s inviting us in, tempting us to indulge in her little underwater fantasy, and the result is almost too fun to resist.

And let’s talk about the visuals. The Aquamarine video is a full production; a sultry undersea odyssey decked out in glamor and cheeky excess, created by an all-star team. Shot by indie darling Sean Price Williams and creatively directed by Mel Ottenberg, the video presents Rae as an enigma, dressed in glimmering, feathered extravagance, only to break down the wall between high society and pure, unabashed revelry. The opening scene, where Rae steps into a Gatsby-like Parisian masquerade, sets the stage for a fantastical night. She’s a modern pop siren, wearing towering feathered headpieces, sequined gowns, and bold Louboutin pumps, while smoking two cigarettes at a time and dancing like a goddess who’s both in on the joke and living the fantasy.

Rae’s styling, courtesy of her stylist Dara, is another chapter in her growing stylebook. Dara’s mission, Rae notes, was to reflect a sense of glamorous “ease,” a kind of high-fashion wildness that looks tossed together with the poise of someone who couldn’t care less. It’s a look that leaves the viewer guessing: Is Rae the Gatsby of this wild party, or the ingenue just discovering her own allure? Dara, who also styled Rae for the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards, outfits her muse in nude-toned leotards toward the video’s close, peeling back layers (both literal and metaphorical) and leaving Rae bare, showing that beneath the glamor is a free spirit, ready to break out of her pearl-studded shell. Speaking of shells, more recently Dara styled Rae in a Thom Browne mermaid look consisting of a sequin fishtail skirt and corset for the CFDA Awards; most importantly, however, she donned an actual seashell as a clutch. What the shell?! You used to call me on my shell phone?!? The possibilities are endless.

Addison Rae shot by Yasmine Diba, available via Harper’s Bazaar © All rights belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.

As Rae herself explains, Aquamarine is as much about personal freedom as it is about transformation. The song tells a story of self-discovery, of rebelling against labels and expectations. Rae’s lyrics in the track echo this idea of personal realignment. “I’m not hiding anymore,” she sings, her voice shimmering like sunlight bouncing off waves, “I won’t hide.” These lines are delivered with a vulnerability Rae’s fans likely relate to, a rawness that makes her feel relatable despite the glam, even aspirational. What Rae’s ultimately selling, though, is a kind of pop self-acceptance: she’s embracing her evolution, her freedom, her playfulness, and her refusal to pick just one persona. And in the process, she’s creating a niche that feels both fresh and nostalgic: a cool-kid populist pop star who also has her indie cred thanks to collaborations with Charli XCX and her indie director posse.

If the lyrics and Rae’s vocal style give you Madonna déjà vu, you’re not alone. Aquamarine channels a retro pop vibe straight out of Madonna’s Ray of Light playbook, especially in its synth-heavy, ethereal sound that feels equal parts seductive and spiritual. Rae’s vocals, airy and light yet sultry, are layered over a four-on-the-floor beat that’s all 90s throwback, pulling listeners in like a riptide. Her lyric “Heart of the Ocean around my neck / I don’t have to say it, you know what’s next” serves as more than a nod to Titanic nostalgia, in a playful jab at pop royalty like Britney Spears, who famously wore the Heart of the Ocean in her “Oops!... I Did It Again” video. This dual reference - pop icon meets Hollywood icon - makes Rae’s world feel like a treasure trove of pop-culture Easter eggs, inviting fans to decode her journey.

And, of course, the release date wasn’t without its own touch of drama. Dropped the same day as Lady Gaga’s much-anticipated Disease, Aquamarine was launched into the world under what could have been high-stakes “pop battle” circumstances, retitled by Twitter (X?) stans “Aquadisease”. Yet instead of the 2013 “Roar” versus “Applause” fandom wars, this day felt more like a cheeky pop blessing. Gaga, the “Mother Monster,” and Rae, the “TikTok Daughter,” seemed to call a truce, offering fans an unexpected mother-daughter pop moment that celebrates both their contributions to the genre. And while Gaga’s track went for dark, stomping electroclash, Rae kept things light, hypnotic, and mysterious, almost as if she’s inviting Gaga’s fans to a different kind of dancefloor under the sea.

Rae’s Aquamarine is a declaration of independence, a signal that she’s her own person in a world eager to define her. And that, perhaps, is her secret sauce. She can simultaneously revel in the nonsensicality of pop stardom while delivering something substantial enough to resonate across social media, streaming platforms, and magazine covers. Whether you’re in it for the fashion, the flirtation, or the mermaid dreamscape (Cleorrr!), one thing’s for sure: with Aquamarine, Rae has officially made a splash, and there’s no going back.