Once the poster child for TikTok cringe, Addison Rae has quietly rebranded into someone we’re…kind of rooting for? After skyrocketing to fame in 2019 with viral dance videos like the controversial “Renegade,” she cycled through a series of deeply questionable side quests: a flop beauty brand, awkward celeb friendships, and a She’s All That remake we couldn’t forget if we tried. But while most OG TikTok stars have quietly faded into podcast purgatory, the Underwear-as-Pants Enthusiast did what few can: She reinvented herself as a full-blown pop star. She swapped her girl-next-door image for “trashcore” aesthetic (see: her brave thong-over-pants; legwarmers with spandex shorts; and this Little Mermaid seashell bra, somehow perfectly paired with a fur stole and blue fishnets) and teamed up with brat-pop royalty like Charli XCX (yes, Ms. Rae ad-libbed the viral scream in the “Von Dutch” remix). She’s also given us Britney Spears cosplay at the VMAs, an ’80s-inspired hot pink peplum polka dot ensemble at Coachella, a 2008 Tumblr-coded music video, referenced Lindsay Lohan’s notorious 2010 court manicure, and Y2K album art that screams Lizzie McGuire-meets-fairycore. 

And her timing? Impeccable. Her rebrand (which includes dropping the “Rae,” by the way) lands just as “recession pop” — gritty, high-energy anthems built for dancing through existential dread — makes a comeback. The economy may not technically be in a recession (semantics), but vibes-wise? It’s giving “I just dropped my last $12 on a vodka cran at a bar.” So everyone’s turning to nostalgia-tinged bangers (like Kesha’s viral yeehaw-pop collab with T-Pain and Lady Gaga’s “earth-shattering,” goth-angel Coachella set) for a much-needed distraction — and Addison’s chaotic, campy energy fits right in (she even got Julia Fox’s approval). Sure, Addison Rae isn’t saving pop — but she’s soundtracking at least five regret-texts and one vodka-fueled parking lot meltdown. And honestly? In this economy, that’s more useful.