The summer of 2024 was a great time for pop music. Gracie Abrams, Billie Eilish, and Charli XCX (shout out Brat summer!) are all established pop girls who had new music come out. In August, a pop singer on the rise released her new single “Diet Pepsi” and you might recognize her name: Addison Rae. Know the name or not, you’ll remember it after listening to this song!
Rae’s “Diet Pepsi” is the first song she has released since August 2023. You might be a little shocked listening to it as her sound is different from before. Instead of the bubblegum pop of her previous music, this song is more dreamy and synthy, showcasing her mesmerizing vocals. The aesthetic she crafted for her new song and new era is reminiscent of early Britney Spears, and she channels a West Coast Americana aesthetic for the visuals and promotion of the song.
One could even argue that her music sounds like early Grimes, like the song “Genesis” for example. That said, Rae’s lyrics are not complex or groundbreaking like Grimes or other good songwriters. Her chorus and lyrics are simple, but definitely catchy!
With the lyrics, “When we drive in your car, I’m your baby / Losing all my innocence in the backseat,” Rae paints a picture of young love and lust. “Say you love, say you love, say you love me,” Rae sings enchantingly. This lyric creates the question: is the love in her relationship with this person reciprocated?
“Sitting on his lap, sippin’ Diet Pepsi,” Rae sings. The soda being the subject of her song is reminiscent of 2012 Lana Del Rey, especially the Lana song “Cola.” It is easy to guess that song and Lana’s music in general is one of Rae’s inspirations for “Diet Pepsi.” The soft, sweet, and sexy sound of this track was trailblazed by Lana in the early 2010s.
The music video for this track is filmed in black and white, and Rae uses old Hollywood imagery throughout it. It takes place in a car with Rae beside her love interest, portrayed by Drew Van Acker. The old Hollywood reference is present in her love interest, who wears a plain white t-shirt reminiscent of James Dean. Meanwhile, Rae wears a miniskirt and a bra, and it could be an outfit Lady Gaga would have worn early in her career. She acts sexy but still goofy and silly (classic Addison Rae) and pretends the American flag is her dress and that she’s Marilyn Monroe in the scene where her dress billows up. The highlight of the music video occurs when Rae races through a store in frantic search of a Diet Pepsi, and when she acquires it she cracks it open. starting the outro of the song, which is in color now that she has her Diet Pepsi.
It will be interesting to see how the future of Rae’s musical career will turn out. Something Rae did with this song was make everything a reference to a previous singer or era, like Lana Del Rey’s cola or the old Hollywood vibe. Having an aesthetic is one thing, but if Rae wants to establish herself as her own singer, she needs to stop making everything an allusion to something already done and create her own thing.