Words by Cherry Lamont.
You may know Addison Rae as the viral TikTok sensation, one of the many stars born from the fever dream that was the COVID era; a standout figure in the mass of quirky dance challenges you mindlessly scrolled past. But now she’s knee-deep in her image rebrand – no longer the quirky, go-lucky girl next door, but the girl who’s taken Charli XCX’s brat summer and made it into a lifestyle everyone wants. Say what you want about her wealth, fame, and influencer origins, her hit single ‘Diet Pepsi’ has been playing in everyone’s head (and probably yours too) 24/7 since its release.
Rae has now blessed our ears with her new single ‘Headphones On’. She’s wearing her heart on her sleeve with her new single, accruing a more relatable and human version of herself. It’s easy to forget that influencers and celebrities are indeed human, just someone we see on our screens, but it’s moments like these that we’re reminded. On first listen, ‘Headphones On’, seemingly a nondescript, nice and easy listen, turned out to be an ode to those from broken homes. Closer inspection reveals an homage to a little girl trying to drown out the World with her headphones, tuning out disaster. The song doesn’t have a strong build, and this feels like an intentional choice, reflective of the melancholy that comes with life’s many sad moments: “wish my mom and dad could’ve been in love, guess some things weren’t meant to last forever,” she sings softly.
It feels as if Addison Rae is uncovering her deepest thoughts as she sings, gradually coming to terms with how much her life has transformed. The chilled and easy melody is juxtaposed with meaningful and personal lyrics that show us a new side to Rae, where she expresses how she felt about the very public separation that her parents went through. She’s only human after all. It brings comfort to listen to ‘Headphones On’. You might say it makes you want to put your headphones on.
What makes this song, aside from the easy-going, repetitive and calming melody, are the lyrics. Rae is saying so much without saying much at all, and it’s powerful – she conveys her most inner feelings without revealing everything all in one fell swoop. The track humanises Addison Rae, which is something we forget about most celebrities, influencers, and essentially anyone in the public eye. ‘Headphones On’ is an ode to the Y2K girl with heartfelt words for your inner child.
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