LIFESTYLE
“Charli genuinely gave me confidence as a songwriter,” Rae tells Billboard for her cover story.
Charli xcx first met Addison Rae several years ago, back when the TikTok star was just beginning to write her songs. Since then, the two have swapped guest appearances on each other’s music. Charli appeared on Rae’s early track “2 Die 4,” while Rae joined the remix of “Von Dutch.” Beyond the studio, the pair have built a genuine friendship based on mutual respect and admiration.
On Wednesday (Aug. 13), Rae appeared on the cover of Billboard’s annual Producers Issue alongside her collaborators Elvira Anderfjärd and Luka Kloser, discussing the process behind her debut album Addison. In the interview, Rae reflected on the lessons she took from working on Charli’s brat. “I think what was so special about what [Charli] did [with brat] was that it was so true to her, and there was just kind of no other way to categorize it. So, for me, I just tried to be as intentional and free-flowing as possible, which is a hard combination… I think that was something that [Charli did] so gracefully,” Rae said.
Charli also spoke to Billboard for the story, sharing that her favorite tracks from Addison are “Fame Is A Gun” and “Money Is Everything.” “I love it when she talks specifically about her journey to where she is now because her journey’s so unique,” Charli explained. “It’s hard to flip the public perception of you, and she did it effortlessly. People are envious of that. I love hearing her talk about voyeurism, fame, and money. She tells stories in a cool and potent way.”
In her conversation with Billboard, Rae also discussed the challenges of shaping her sound while being in the public eye. Her first single, “Obsessed,” released in 2021, received heavy criticism from both fans and critics. “Initially, I was pretty let down by myself in a lot of ways, because I had such high expectations,” she admitted. “And then over time, I just completely let that go and released it.”
She recalled how the release of “Diet Pepsi,” the first single from Addison and her first collaboration with Anderfjärd and Kloser, changed public opinion. The track, which dropped in August 2024, initially drew skepticism from some people close to her. “There were people I played it to who were like, ‘I don’t know if this is what people want from you,’” Rae remembered. “And I was like, ‘Well, I don’t think people know what they want from me.’”
“Diet Pepsi” became a breakthrough moment for Rae, peaking at No. 54 on the Billboard Hot 100 and solidifying her status as a rising pop star. Rae credits her creative turning point to working with Charli on “Von Dutch” shortly before writing “Diet Pepsi.” “Charli gave me the confidence as a writer, honestly. That’s why I felt so sure going into our sessions [for Addison]. Most of the sessions I had done before the ‘Von Dutch’ remix session with Charli, I had a lot of writers in the room, and I was feeling like I was leaning on writers a lot. Charli leaned on me and gave me so much confidence, and that’s really when a big shift happened for me as far as being a songwriter.”
Charli has noticed that transformation as well. “Every time I’ve written with her, she’s just become more and more confident in who she is, which, yes, happens with every artist, but I feel like her growth and evolution has been expedited because she knows herself and because she’s truly not worried about what people think of her. She goes off into her world and is her source of inspiration. She makes it happen for herself. That’s how you evolve.”
When asked why she thinks she has managed to find such success, Rae pointed to “fearlessness” and “timing” as key factors. Charli agreed, adding that she admires Rae’s “fearlessness and joie de vivre.”
“She is living in the moment and experimenting with whatever she wants to in a non-jaded and fantastic way,” Charli said. “It’s rare to see in this day and age where everyone’s so worried about doing something right or wrong or being cool or relevant or whatever. Her artistic flair is so pure and true to who she is and what she wants. It’s special.”
