Influencer Addison Rae Channels TikTok Charisma Into Pop Music Magic

The lights at 713 Music Hall dimmed to near silence, and the room that had been buzzing with pre-show energy froze. Out of the shadows a figure drifted toward the center of the stage, her outline just visible against the soft glow of backlighting. Then the music pulsed, red lights strobed, and Addison Rae appeared, flanked by dancers whose movements snapped in perfect time with hers.

Just as quickly, the beat dropped away, leaving the sold-out hall in stunned quiet. In the pause, anticipation swelled until the sound and lights returned with a jolt, unleashing a wave of confetti shaped like dollar bills that cascaded over the crowd. Standing in the mist of it all was Rae, the influencer turned pop star, commanding the stage.

Her debut headlining run, The Addison Tour, launched in August 2025 to support her first album Addison. Spanning more than 30 dates across North America, Europe, and Australia, the tour grew quickly after its June announcement, with extra shows added and venues upgraded to meet fan demand. The setlist mixes fresh material like “Fame Is a Gun,” “Aquamarine” and “Diet Pepsi” with alternate versions and remixes, including a reimagined take on her breakout single “Obsessed” and a hyperpop-leaning cover of Charli XCX’s “Von Dutch.” Critics have pointed to the balance of theatrical staging, choreography, and costume changes as evidence of Rae’s growing confidence as a performer.

“Thank you so very much for being here tonight,” the singer gushed as she looked out into the cheering crowd. “I actually went to middle school a little north of here and I have family here tonight so I just want to thank everyone who made the trip out here. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world.”

Houston’s stop on the tour more than satisfied her ever growing fanbase. Songs like “Summer Forever” and “Aquamarine” unfolded with big visuals and polished choreography, while reworked versions of “I Got It Bad” and “Obsessed” gave familiar hits a new edge, one through a Britney Spears interpolation, the other through a darker remix twist. The crowd answered every shift by singing along.

Rae’s dancers and visuals carried the show’s momentum, moving the stage from surreal underwater dreamscapes during “In the Rain” to neon skylines for “New York.” Her rendition of “Von Dutch” stood out as a highlight, leaning into chaotic production as flashing lights drenched the hall in energy.

What might have been just another glossy pop production instead unfolded with moments of theater. Early confetti showers were matched later by a storm of blue light and mist that turned the room into an ocean for “Life’s No Fun Through Clear Waters.” By contrast, “Times Like These” stripped things back, Rae sitting at the stage’s edge with only minimal accompaniment, her voice carrying clearly over the hushed crowd.

Houston’s reception showed why The Addison Tour has quickly become one of the most talked about debuts of the year. Rae’s mix of spectacle and sincerity proved she can hold her own on a major stage, balancing choreography heavy productions with moments of intimacy that kept the crowd invested. What once seemed like a risky leap from influencer fame to pop stardom now reads as a natural progression, with Rae using every city, every remix, and every confetti blast to underline that she wants to rise in the ranks of contemporary pop.

Setlist
• Fame Is a Gun
• I Got It Bad
• New York
• Summer Forever
• 2 Die 4
• Von Dutch (Charli XCX cover)
• In the Rain
• High Fashion
• Aquamarine
• Life’s No Fun Through Clear Waters
• Headphones On
• Money Is Everything
• Obsessed
• Times Like These
• Diet Pepsi