Ever heard of Addison Rae? Of course, you have! There are many avenues through which you might know her, but the most prominent is her status as one of today’s biggest rising artists. But how exactly did she transition from being a TikTok sensation to a celebrity? To understand that, we have to rewind to the beginning.

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Addison Rae’s journey started on TikTok in 2019. She quickly gained attention by creating TikToks featuring trending dances, capturing viewers with her bubbly personality and good looks. However, it was her decision to join the Hype House later that year that truly solidified her TikTok fame. The Hype House was a collaborative space for some of TikTok’s biggest influencers at the time, where they created content together to grow their platforms. 

As Addison’s fame grew, so did her status in the celebrity world. Something that greatly helped elevate her career was her friendship with Kourtney Kardashian. This wasn’t just a casual friendship, they were constantly seen together, doing everything together. Addison Rae even appeared on an episode of “The Kardashians” in 2021, which highlighted the reactions of the Kardashian family to her close relationship with Kourtney.

As Addison began to be recognized more as a celebrity personality and less as just a TikTok star, she started exploring talents beyond creating videos, such as singing and acting. In 2021, Addison released her first song “Obsessed” and starred in her first movie “He’s All That.” While both projects got attention, neither truly pushed her career to new heights. This was because her acting and singing performances were fairly predictable. If you were to imagine what a TikTok star’s acting and singing would typically be like, you wouldn’t be far off. Neither venture strayed from the persona that people were used to seeing.

This is where Addison made what I consider one of the most brilliant career moves of all time, she completely rebranded herself. First, she transformed her aesthetic entirely. Her social media posts became more alternative and “messy” compared to the polished content she used to share. Second, her style underwent a similar transformation. She started wearing more unconventional outfits, setting trends instead of following them. Lastly, and most importantly, she made career choices that aligned with this new aesthetic and broke free from the expectations associated with her previous image.

She released her first album, “Addison” in 2025, and the music was incredibly successful. One thing that greatly helped her in the music industry was the support of Charli XCX. Charli XCX, an established “It girl”, provided Addison with guidance and opportunities in her music career. For example, she featured Addison on her song “Von Dutch” and began performing together at various events, including Coachella.

This rebrand also extended to her acting career, where she discovered a knack for horror. In 2023, she had a role in the horror film “Thanksgiving” and recently appeared in the Netflix series “Monster: The Ed Gein Story.” This show has made it clear to even the skeptics that she is undoubtedly going to make a name for herself in the acting world.

Addison Rae is an inspiring example that no matter what you do, you can always achieve more.