On Addison Rae

Around the time that Addison Rae broke a million TikTok followers in the fall of 2019, the platform offered a system update for the American dream; now all that was required to claim a better, richer life was a phone, some free time, and a willingness to perform air traffic control dances with a smile. For those not on the app, your introduction to the social media star may have been her 2021 Tonight Show debut, a chipper showing, not exactly screaming “star power,” which confirmed my worst assumptions about where youth culture was headed. Rae, who grew up a competitive dancer and later, a cheerleader, brought to the app not just girl-next-door sweetness, but also ruthless pragmatism and a tireless work ethic. On a recent podcast, the 24-year-old performer spoke insightfully of her time in the viral dance mines. “When I reflect back on that time, I’ve recognized how much choice and taste is kind of a luxury,” she noted without shame, summing up her methodology as: “How am I going to get out of here?”