MUSIC
Addison Rae | The Addison Tour ★★★★
Forum Melbourne, November 11
When Addison Rae began her transition from TikTok celebrity to pop star in 2021, her first single, Obsessed, included the lyrics: “You say you’re obsessed with me / So I took a second / And I said “Me too” / I’m obsessed with me as much as you”.
Addison Rae and her dancers on stage at Forum Melbourne.Credit: Gabrielle Clement
At the time, both the single and Rae herself were critically panned, with many writing her off as just another social media star failing to make the great leap from phone screen fame to certified celebrity.
Yet, in the four years since, the track has proved to be a premonition of things to come. Fresh off a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist, while Rae remains obsessed (her critically acclaimed debut album, released in June, is aptly titled Addison, while the tour is even more aptly titled The Addison Tour), so too do her fans.
Braving the wind and rain on Tuesday evening, fans who were lucky enough to land a ticket to Rae’s first ever Australian show were met with oversized wrought iron gates bearing an oversized A on the stage of the Forum, as well as a chandelier and candelabra hanging for good measure.
Addison RaeCredit: Gabrielle Clement
When the 25-year-old and her four dancers took to the stage blindfolded and wearing neon lingerie to open with Fame is a Gun, the entire crowd erupted and set the tone for the next hour.
Having spent her childhood as a dancer (the very talent that helped her amass close to 90 million followers on TikTok and make her among the most followed content creators on the platform), Rae moved through the set to songs such as New York, Summer Forever, High Fashion and released a sea of rainbow balloons from the ceiling during Headphones On. As a whole, the highly choreographed moves and costume changes made the experience feel like a glorious mashup of early ’00s and ethereal pop, a high school theatre performance and a Dancing With the Stars special.
When four fans were pulled onstage during Rae’s cover of Charli XCX’s Von Dutch to join in her now signature microphone scream mid-song, Rae told the audience, “just because I didn’t pick you tonight doesn’t mean you can’t prove to me why I should have picked you”. Her closing track, her biggest hit to date, Diet Pepsi, performed while she was clad in a giant tutu, felt like the natural culmination of an evening celebrating the evolution of someone many thought would never make it out of their dance studio into a bona fide pop icon-in-the-making.
