AR
A photo of the artist staring directly into the camera and blowing bubblegum.
Cover for all digital formats and CDs
EP by
Addison Rae
ReleasedAugust 18, 2023 (2023-08-18)
Recorded2021
GenrePop
Length9:42
LabelSandlot
Producer

AR is the debut extended play by American singer Addison Rae. It was released on August 18, 2023, through Sandlot Records. Following the mass leak of Rae's unreleased music, some songs ended up gaining traction online, which led Rae to officially release her originally planned debut EP, as a "sign off before [her] next chapter in music".[1][2] The EP was originally supposed to be released in 2021 with "Obsessed" as the lead single, but was shelved due to Rae’s lack of confidence.[3][4]

AR consists of four songs, one of which is a collaboration with English singer Charli XCX, while Rae's debut single "Obsessed" appears as a bonus track on Spotify.[5]

Background

In March 2021, Rae released her debut single "Obsessed".[6] Two months later, she began teasing the release of a debut album.[7] 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".[7] 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.[8] 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.[9]

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.[10] Throughout the year, more unreleased demos from Rae were leaked online.[11] She quickly built a cult following among "queer pop-culture obsessives"[12] 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."[13] In February 2023, Rae began teasing new music again after she changed her Spotify bio to "Addison Rae 2023".[14]

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".[15] 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."[13]

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."[16] 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."[12] 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."[13]

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."[17] 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."[1] 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."[18]

Commercial performance

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

Track listing

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 232:15
Total length:9:42
AR – Spotify edition (bonus track)[5]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
5."Obsessed"
2:15
Total length:11:57

Personnel

Musicians

Technical

Charts

Chart (2023) Peak
position
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[20] 19

Release history

Release dates and formats for AR
Region Date Format(s) Label Ref.
Various August 18, 2023 Sandlot [5]
United States October 13, 2023 CD [21]
December 1, 2023 LP [22]

References

  1. 1 2 "Addison Rae Re-Enters Her Pop Girl Era With Lost Album Releases". Rolling Stone. August 18, 2023. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Bad Bleep Addison Rae Releases Her Lost Album". Vulture. August 18, 2023. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Addison Rae is working with Charli XCX on New Music". Paper Magazine. Tray Alston. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  4. ↑ ""I Think I'm Just A Curious Person". Addison Rae On Her Quest For Pop Perfection". Liam Hess. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 "AR - EP by Addison Rae on Spotify". Spotify. August 23, 2023. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
  6. ↑ Mamo, Heran (March 19, 2021). "Addison Rae Gets Fans "Obsessed" With Surprise Debut Single & Music Video". Billboard. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  7. 1 2 "How Addison Rae's Relationship With Ex Bryce Hall Inspired Her New Music". E! Online. May 19, 2021. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  8. ↑ Shanfeld, Ethan (July 21, 2021). "Addison Rae Reveals She's Working on Upcoming EP with Charli XCX, Benny Blanco". Variety. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Addison Rae Explains Why She Won't Be Performing at the iHeartRadio Music Festival". Seventeen. September 17, 2021. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  10. ↑ 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.
  11. ↑ "Addison Rae responds as her old music leaks on SoundCloud". Dexerto. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  12. 1 2 "Addison Rae: "I Got It Bad" Track Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  13. 1 2 3 "'I Think I'm Just a Curious Person': Addison Rae on Her Quest for Pop Perfection". Vogue. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  14. ↑ 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.
  15. ↑ "Addison Rae finally releasing leaked "lost album" songs". Dexerto. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  16. ↑ "Friday Music Guide: New Music From Quavo, Hozier, Doechii, Addison Rae and More". Billboard. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  17. ↑ "Addison Rae's 'AR' EP Review: A Proper Pop Star Debut". Nylon. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  18. ↑ "Addison Rae Embraces Her Pop Star Persona in Lost and Found 'AR' EP". Ones to Watch. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  19. ↑ "Heatseekers Albums Chart: Week of September 2, 2023". Billboard. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Heatseekers Albums Chart: Week of September 2, 2023". Billboard. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  21. ↑ "AR Signed CD (Limited Edition) - Warner Music Official Store". Warner Music Group. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
  22. ↑ "Addison Rae - AR Limited LP - Urban Outfitters". Urban Outfitters. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
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