By Zelenny Lozano / Pink B
Austin put its “Headphones On” for Addison Rae this September for her first world tour at ACL Live at the Moody Theater. Addison released her self-titled debut album earlier in June of this year, and is now embarking on her first world tour to finish out a career-defining year on her popstar journey. The tour began with a European leg, and then brought the show stateside starting in our very own Austin, Texas.
As a Louisiana native, Addison has a documented fondness for her neighboring state of Texas, specifically Austin, as shown in a Youtube video by Rolling Stone where she recounts a spontaneous road trip she took with friends to the Texas capital, just after shooting her “High Fashion” music video in New Orleans. During this year’s tour stop, she made sure to pay a visit to Jo’s coffee, fit in a workout at Barry’s Bootcamp, and did some shopping while wearing an Austin-inspired outfit.
Addison Rae’s Austin adventures during her 2025 tour stop.
Although some music fans may underestimate her due to her origins as a TikTok star, Addison Rae has cultivated a dedicated fanbase over the last few years, likely due to an early stamp of approval (and collaborations) from pop music trendsetter Charli XCX, as well as poignant references to the pop legends that inspire her, including a Lady Gaga Halloween costume, reading Britney Spears’ memoir on its release day, and wearing a sweater depicting late, electronic music pioneer SOPHIE’s album artwork.
In the era of concerts as full-blown experiences, some pop music fans put extra thought and effort into their concert outfits. With a new artist in her debut era, it can be challenging to figure out what attire encapsulates the Addison album best. Beyonce and her “Hive” own reflective silver, Sabrina Carpenter fans often don white gogo boots in honor of her favorite on-stage shoe choice, and you’ll likely see a sea of lime green at a Charli XCX concert—but Addison Rae hasn’t solidified her replicable trademarks just yet. The most promising one I noticed in this crowd was a hot pink wig as seen in the “Headphones On” music video. Fans also wore summery colors, strappy tops, and low rise pants and skirts reminiscent of the early 2000s—a prominent aesthetic of the Addison album.
I decided to make my own dress for this concert, since I’ve been learning to sew lately and I had the perfect pink/orange wavy print fabric to fit Addison’s summery aesthetic. I added an iridescent blue trim for some contrast, put on my pink Converse and I was ready for the show!
As we wait for the show to begin, an iron gate adorned with her trademark letter ‘A’ sits center stage, while a crystal chandelier hangs from the ceiling. Various pop songs that inspired Addison’s debut album play during the waiting period, including Madonna’s “Ray of Light”, Lady Gaga’s “S*xxx Dreams”, and several Lana Del Rey and Britney Spears tracks.
In line for the pearly gates of heaven or waiting for the Addison Rae concert to start? The world may never know.
Once the lights dim, dancers slide the gate to the side as Addison opens the show with “Fame is a Gun”, wearing a 1950s housewife-style apron dress. During the bridge of the song, the dress is torn off by her dancers to reveal a brand new outfit on this tour—a Madonna-esque sexy black leather two-piece, cone bra included.
Addison reveals a new outfit for the U.S leg of the tour during opening track “Fame is a Gun.”
The production of the show is minimal, which is to be expected for a tour of this scale (with venues seating 2,000-5,000 people). She’s accompanied on-stage solely by three female dancers and one male dancer, as well as a platform with a couple of steps and an industrial staircase during the middle section of the show. Colorful lighting and newly remixed outros help the songs flow into each other to create about a 1-hour long show. She showcases about four different outfits throughout the concert, ending in a dramatic white dress with a giant tulle skirt to perform her big finale—her highest charting song to date peaking at #54 on the Billboard Hot 100—”Diet Pepsi.”
Addison introduced her dancers and later changed on-stage for her finale song, “Diet Pepsi.”
Despite the concert’s modest production budget, Addison showed she has everything it takes to achieve pop superstardom. Her infectious personality radiated in the transitional moments between songs. She frequently thanked the audience for their support, waved to different sections of the crowd, read signs held up by fans, shouted out the outfits she liked, and even told a knock-knock joke during a wardrobe malfunction. During her performance of “Von dutch,” one of her collaboration tracks with Charli XCX featured on the brat remix album, she brought two audience members to the stage to perform the high-pitched scream that characterizes the bridge of the track. This is a great way to engage the audience while simultaneously preserving her voice by not screaming at the top of her lungs every single night.
Her reverence for the pop superstars that came before her was evident, especially for Britney Spears. On top of sharing a home state of Louisiana, Addison clearly drew inspiration from Spears for this tour. From her headset pop star mic, to her intricate choreography, to her bubbly personality, Britney’s artistry felt ever-present.
Addison’s physicality and dance ability also stood out, as popstar choreography has become less and less mainstream in recent decades. Tate McRae is the current generation’s mainstream popstar who excels in the art of dance, but Addison Rae is now hot on her heels rising quickly behind her. Rae’s intricate choreography is tailored to each track and helps accentuate every performance, including everything from floorwork, to acrobatics, to lifts, to plenty of hairography.
Highlights of Addison Rae’s physicality.
As an original fan of Addison Rae’s pop music career, I was most excited to hear her perform songs off her first EP, AR. The setlist included my personal favorite, “I got it bad,” with newly added instrumental elements from “…Baby One More Time” just for this tour, as well as “2 die 4,” her first collaboration with Charli XCX. She also included her very first single, “Obsessed,” on the setlist, which was surprising since she has mixed feelings about the track due to the backlash she received for pivoting from TikTok influencer to pop musician.
As a dedicated fangirl, I must buy merch at every concert – I loved this cheeky shirt referencing lyrics from “Diet Pepsi.”
Her performance of “Obsessed” gave me a newfound appreciation for the track. Although audiences may not have been obsessed with Addison Rae the Popstar in 2021, they sure are now.