AR (EP)

Last updated

AR
Addison Rae - Addison Rae.png
Cover for all digital formats and CDs
EP by
Addison Rae
ReleasedAugust 18, 2023 (2023-08-18)
Recorded2020–2021
Genre
Length9:42
Label Sandlot
Producer

AR is the debut extended play by American social media personality and singer Addison Rae. It was released on August 18, 2023, through Sandlot Records.

Contents

AR is a pop and bubblegum pop record with influences of electropop, synth-pop and dance-pop, which Rolling Stone described as "plasticky, pristine pop that online audiences ironically, and then unironically, eat up." The EP was met with critical praise for its earworms, catchy hooks, and Rae's ability to channel the nostalgia of the 2000s and 2010s pop era. [2] [3] [4]

On Spotify, the project was ranked among the top 10 biggest opening weeks for a female EP in Spotify history with 6.6 million streams. The EP also debuted at number 19 on the US Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart. [5] AR consists of four songs. Rae's debut single "Obsessed" appears as a bonus track on Spotify. [6]

Background

In March 2021, Rae released her debut single "Obsessed". [7] Two months later, she began teasing the release of a debut album. [8] She revealed that album would be about "experiences that [she's] gone through or feelings that [she's] had and just different mindsets that [she's] kind of been in over the past year". [8] In June 2021, It was revealed that Rae was working on an extended play (EP) with artists such as Charli XCX and Benny Blanco, and that she had four songs ready to be released. [9] In September 2021, Rae was supposed to perform live at iHeartRadio Music Festival but she later announced that she isn't ready to perform yet. [10]

In January 2022, snippets of Rae's unreleased tracks went viral online and garnered positive reactions. The song "I Got It Bad", which was teased in 2021, got leaked alongside "Nothing On (But the Radio)" which was originally an unreleased song recorded by Lady Gaga. [11] Throughout the year, more unreleased demos from Rae were leaked online. [12] She quickly built a cult following among "queer pop-culture obsessives" [13] after they noticed via her Spotify that her music taste "spans recent avant-garde hip-hop to the cream of '00s Timbaland-produced R&B." [14] In February 2023, Rae began teasing new music again after she changed her Spotify bio to "Addison Rae 2023". [15]

On August 14, 2023, Rae announced that she would be releasing an EP made up of some unreleased songs which were intended to be a part of her "lost album". [16] The EP was originally supposed to be released in 2021 with "Obsessed" as the lead single however, Rae stated that, after the reception of her debut single, she intended to give up on music entirely, but after she saw fans' enthusiasm over the leaked material she gained the confidence to release more music. "I think I know myself now, and I know what I want to do, and I know where I want to go, and to have full control over doing it exactly how I envision it," she continued, "I wanted this EP to be the end note to the past few years, and a stepping stone forward in my career. And I can't wait to show you the next part." [14] [17] [18]

Reception

AR received favorable reviews from critics. Jason Lipshutz from Billboard wrote that the EP "does not sound like a collection of odds and ends: instead, the five songs engross the listener with fresh melodies and bursts of personality, showcasing the 22-year-old as a quick study within this brand of pop," adding that "the whole project is worth bookmarking as the potential start of something big." [19] Cat Zhang of Pitchfork stated that Rae "delivers the kind of plasticky, pristine pop that online audiences ironically, and then unironically, eat up," reviewing the track "I Got It Bad" by describing it as "a bedazzled turn-of-the-millennium pop song" and assessing that "there's an immediate reward in the song's blingy flourishes and bass-heavy breakdown." [13] Liam Hess of Vogue also highlighted "I Got It Bad" calling it "a bona fide pop masterpiece with a welcome dose of weirdness," continuing that it "recalls Britney at her peak, with an irresistible, swooping chorus and a juggernaut of a bridge." [14]

Nylon 's Steffanee Wang wrote that "the music is worth it. [AR]'s brand of pop is the kind you can't look too closely at because there really isn't anything much deeper to gleam. Everything it is and will be is already on display on its gleaming, shiny outside." [20] Larisha Paul of Rolling Stone commented that the EP "digs up some of the most anticipated songs she has teased with snippets and sneak peeks in the time since she made her musical debut," calling "2 Die 4" a standout "collaboration with pop maestro Charli XCX." [21] Writing for Ones to Watch, Alessandra Rincon said that Rae "can finally add verified pop star to her ever-growing résumé," claiming that "I Got It Bad" is the song that "arguably benefitted the most from the reworked mix, introing the body of work with a new, refreshing energy," calling it "an undeniably catchy track to the point that even her cynics will likely have difficulty finding fault in this flawless pop song." [22]

Commercial performance

AR debuted at number 19 on the US Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart. [23]

Track listing

Credits adapted from the liner notes of AR. [24]

AR – Standard edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."I Got It Bad"
  • Görres
  • Yacoub
2:52
2."2 Die 4" (featuring Charli XCX)
Goldstein2:06
3."Nothing On (But the Radio)"
2:29
4."It Could've Been U"
 Alexander 23 2:15
Total length:9:42
AR – Spotify edition (bonus track) [6]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
5."Obsessed"
2:15
Total length:11:57

Notes

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of AR. [24]

Performers

Production and recording

Charts

Chart (2023)Peak
position
US Heatseekers Albums ( Billboard ) [25] 19
US Top Current Album Sales ( Billboard ) [26] 45

Release history

Release dates and formats for AR
RegionDateFormat(s)LabelRef.
VariousAugust 18, 2023Sandlot [6]
United StatesOctober 13, 2023 CD [27]
December 1, 2023 LP [28]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charli XCX</span> British singer and songwriter (born 1992)

Charlotte Emma Aitchison, known professionally as Charli XCX, is an English singer and songwriter. Born in Cambridge and raised in Start Hill, Essex, Charli XCX began posting songs on Myspace in 2008 before entering the London rave scene. She signed a recording contract with Asylum Records in 2010, releasing a series of singles and mixtapes throughout 2011 and 2012. She later featured on "I Love It" with Swedish duo Icona Pop, with the song becoming her first number-one in the UK and receiving global success. Her debut studio album, True Romance (2013), was released to positive reviews but failed to meet commercial expectations.

<i>True Romance</i> (Charli XCX album) 2013 studio album by Charli XCX

True Romance is the debut studio album by English singer Charli XCX. It was released on 12 April 2013 by Asylum and Atlantic Records. Originally scheduled for release in April 2012, the album's release was delayed for a full year and had been in the making since early 2010 when Charli met with producer Ariel Rechtshaid in Los Angeles. To promote the album's release, Charli embarked on a three-date UK promotional tour in April 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You're the One (Charli XCX song)</span> 2012 single by Charli XCX

"You're the One" is a song by British singer Charli XCX, released as her fifth single on 14 June 2012 exclusively in Australia under Warner Music, and the third single from her debut EP of the same name, and her major-label debut studio album True Romance (2013).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charli XCX discography</span>

English singer Charli XCX has released six studio albums, five mixtapes, three extended plays, one live album, one soundtrack album, one remix album, two DJ mixes, 48 singles, and 13 promotional singles. In 2007, XCX began recording her debut album on a loan granted by her parents. Titled 14, after her age at the time, it received only a restricted public release. Two singles, "!Franchesckaar!" and double A-side "Emelline" / "Art Bitch", were released in late 2008 under Orgy Music. In June 2012, Charli XCX released her first mixtape, titled Heartbreaks and Earthquakes, a one-track file consisting of eight songs. A second mixtape, titled Super Ultra, was released in November of the same year. Charli XCX's major-label debut studio album, True Romance, was released in April 2013, and peaked at number 85 on the UK Albums Chart. While failing to appear on any main album charts internationally, the album reached number five on the Heatseekers Albums chart in the United States and number 11 on the ARIA Hitseekers chart in Australia. The album spawned five singles—"Stay Away", "Nuclear Seasons", "You're the One", "You " and "What I Like". In 2012, Charli XCX was featured on Icona Pop's song "I Love It", which peaked at number one in the UK and reached the top 10 in various countries including the US, Canada, Ireland and Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fancy (Iggy Azalea song)</span> 2014 single by Iggy Azalea featuring Charli XCX

"Fancy" is a song by Australian rapper Iggy Azalea featuring British singer Charli XCX, taken from the former's debut studio album, The New Classic (2014). It was released on 17 February 2014 by Def Jam Recordings as the fourth single from the album. "Fancy" was described as an electro-hop, electropop, and pop rap song. It was written by Azalea and XCX, composed and produced by production team the Invisible Men, alongside additional producers the Arcade. It was leaked under the title "Leave It" in December 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A. G. Cook</span> British music producer (born 1990)

Alexander Guy Cook is an English music producer and the head of the now-closed UK record label PC Music. Cook released his first solo singles in 2014. He has also collaborated with PC Music artists such as Hannah Diamond, GFOTY, Finn Keane, Danny L Harle and Felicita. He formed the one-off project QT with musician Sophie and performance artist Hayden Dunham, producing the 2014 single "Hey QT".

<i>Vroom Vroom</i> (EP) 2016 EP by Charli XCX

Vroom Vroom is the second extended play (EP) by English singer Charli XCX, released on 26 February 2016 by Vroom Vroom Recordings. It features production work from English producer Sophie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alma (Finnish singer)</span> Finnish singer-songwriter (born 1996)

Alma-Sofia Miettinen, known professionally as Alma, is a Finnish singer and songwriter. Beginning her career in 2013, she placed fifth in the seventh season of the Finnish version of Idol. Her breakthrough came in 2015 when she was featured on the single "Muuta ku mä" by Sini Sabotage, and was subsequently signed to Universal Music Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boys (Charli XCX song)</span> 2017 single by Charli XCX

"Boys" is a single by English singer Charli XCX, released on 26 July 2017 by Asylum Records and Atlantic Records UK. The song was originally intended to be the second single from her then-upcoming third studio album. However, the song became a stand-alone single when the projected third album was leaked on the internet and cancelled. The song makes use of a sample from the Nintendo video game Super Mario Bros.

<i>Pop 2</i> (mixtape) 2017 mixtape by Charli XCX

Pop 2 is the fourth mixtape by English singer Charli XCX, released on 15 December 2017 by Asylum Records. Executively produced by A. G. Cook of PC Music, sessions for the mixtape began several months before its release and featured a wide variety of guest contributions. The mixtape was backed by its only single "Out of My Head" featuring Alma and Tove Lo, released exactly one week before its release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unlock It</span> 2017 promotional single by Charli XCX

"Unlock It" is a song by English singer Charli XCX featuring German singer Kim Petras and American rapper Jay Park. It was released on 11 December 2017 as the first promotional single from XCX's fourth mixtape Pop 2 (2017). The track samples A. G. Cook's "Beautiful" and premiered on Zane Lowe's Beats 1 show on the day of release. Reviewers praised "Unlock It", especially its lyrics. A mashup of the song with Tinashe's "Superlove" went viral on TikTok in 2021, shortly after which XCX renamed the track "Unlock It (Lock It)" to fan discontent. In 2022, Piri & Tommy released a cover that Vice rated as the 14th best song of 2022.

Sara Hjellström, known professionally as Shy Martin is a Swedish singer and songwriter. As a songwriter her compositions have been streamed over 3 billion times on Spotify alone, while her songs as lead vocalist have been streamed 1.5 billion times on the same platform.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flash Pose</span> 2019 song by Pabllo Vittar and Charli XCX

"Flash Pose" is a song by Brazilian singer and drag queen Pabllo Vittar featuring English singer Charli XCX. It was released on 25 July 2019 as the lead single off of Vittar's 111 1 EP and 111 album. The track is Charli XCX and Vittar's second collaboration, following "I Got It", which appears on Charli's Pop 2 mixtape and is followed by "Shake It", on the album Charli.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Addison Rae</span> American singer, songwriter and actress (born 2000)

Addison Rae Easterling is an American social media personality, singer, actress, and dancer. Rae rose to fame on TikTok and amassed over 88 million followers, making her the fifth most-followed individual on the platform. She later transitioned into music and acting by starring in major film studio productions and collaborating with significant music producers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Obsessed (Addison Rae song)</span> 2021 single by Addison Rae

"Obsessed" is the debut single by American singer-songwriter Addison Rae, released on March 19, 2021, through Sandlot Records.

<i>Crash</i> (Charli XCX album) 2022 studio album by Charli XCX

Crash is the fifth studio album by English singer Charli XCX, released on 18 March 2022. It was her last album to be released under her record contract with Asylum Records. Charli announced the album title, release date, and artwork on 4 November 2021. Her website was also updated with information about the album's 2022 tour. The album was preceded by the four singles "Good Ones", "New Shapes" featuring Christine and the Queens and Caroline Polachek, "Beg for You" featuring Rina Sawayama, "Baby" and two promotional singles, "Every Rule" and "Used to Know Me", the latter released as the fifth single in April 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Von Dutch (song)</span> 2024 single by Charli XCX

"Von Dutch" is a song by English singer Charli XCX. It was released on 29 February 2024 through Atlantic Records. Written by Charli alongside its producer Finn Keane, the track serves as the lead single from her sixth studio album, Brat. The song and its remix version received a Grammy nomination for Best Dance Pop Recording and Best Remixed Recording, respectively.

"I Got It Bad" is a song by American singer Addison Rae from her debut extended play AR (2023). Rae wrote it with songwriters Madison Love and Leland and its producers, Oscar Görres and Rami Yacoub. The song became available as the EP's first track on August 18, 2023, when it was released by Sandlot Records.

"2 Die 4" is a song by American singer-songwriter Addison Rae from Rae's debut extended play AR. It became available as the EP's second track on August 18, 2023, through Sandlot Records. Despite not being released as a single, it peaked at number 67 on the Irish chart and number 13 on the New Zealand Hot Singles chart.

References

  1. ↑ Spanos, Brittany (August 9, 2024). "Addison Rae Is Sweet Like 'Diet Pepsi' on Major Label Debut". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on August 9, 2024. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
  2. ↑ Zhang, by: Cat (August 18, 2023). "Addison Rae - Albums, Songs, and News". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
  3. ↑ "Ones To Watch". Ones to Watch. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
  4. ↑ Johnson, Cassidy (September 20, 2023). "Addison Rae is bringing back Y2K pop". The Advance-Titan. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
  5. ↑ devops (January 2, 2013). "Heatseekers Albums". Billboard. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
  6. 1 2 3 "AR - EP by Addison Rae on Spotify". Spotify . August 23, 2023. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
  7. ↑ Mamo, Heran (March 19, 2021). "Addison Rae Gets Fans "Obsessed" With Surprise Debut Single & Music Video". Billboard. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  8. 1 2 "How Addison Rae's Relationship With Ex Bryce Hall Inspired Her New Music". E! Online. May 19, 2021. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  9. ↑ Shanfeld, Ethan (July 21, 2021). "Addison Rae Reveals She's Working on Upcoming EP with Charli XCX, Benny Blanco". Variety. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  10. ↑ "Addison Rae Explains Why She Won't Be Performing at the iHeartRadio Music Festival". Seventeen. September 17, 2021. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  11. ↑ Rao, Karishma (January 22, 2022). "Addison Rae's version of Lady Gaga's "Nothing On But the Radio" sends fans into a frenzy". Sportskeeda . Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  12. ↑ "Addison Rae responds as her old music leaks on SoundCloud". Dexerto. August 11, 2022. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  13. 1 2 "Addison Rae: "I Got It Bad" Track Review". Pitchfork . Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  14. 1 2 3 "'I Think I'm Just a Curious Person': Addison Rae on Her Quest for Pop Perfection". Vogue . August 21, 2023. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  15. ↑ Williams, Written in Partnership with Maria (February 7, 2023). "Addison Rae and Her 2023 Music Release Plans, Oregon Artist NORD Collaboration". LA Weekly. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  16. ↑ "Addison Rae finally releasing leaked "lost album" songs". Dexerto. August 14, 2023. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  17. ↑ "Addison Rae is working with Charli XCX on New Music". Paper Magazine. Tray Alston. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  18. ↑ ""I Think I'm Just A Curious Person". Addison Rae On Her Quest For Pop Perfection". Liam Hess. August 26, 2023. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  19. ↑ "Friday Music Guide: New Music From Quavo, Hozier, Doechii, Addison Rae and More". Billboard . Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Addison Rae's 'AR' EP Review: A Proper Pop Star Debut". Nylon . August 18, 2023. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  21. ↑ "Addison Rae Re-Enters Her Pop Girl Era With Lost Album Releases". Rolling Stone . August 18, 2023. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  22. ↑ "Addison Rae Embraces Her Pop Star Persona in Lost and Found 'AR' EP". Ones to Watch . Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  23. ↑ "Heatseekers Albums Chart: Week of September 2, 2023". Billboard. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  24. 1 2 AR (CD liner notes). Addison Rae. Sandlot Records. 2023. 075678613135.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  25. ↑ "Heatseekers Albums Chart: Week of September 2, 2023". Billboard. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  26. ↑ Zellner, Xander. "Hot 100 First-Timers: Addison Rae Debuts With Breakthrough Single 'Diet Pepsi'". Billboard . Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  27. ↑ "AR Signed CD (Limited Edition) - Warner Music Official Store". Warner Music Group . Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  28. ↑ "Addison Rae - AR Limited LP - Urban Outfitters". Urban Outfitters . Retrieved November 3, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.