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Culture > Entertainment

Is Addison Rae’s “Headphones On” About Her Parents’ Divorce?

On April 18, Addison Rae dropped a new single, and she opens up about how her parents’ divorce affected her. Addison Rae’s single, “Headphones On,” talks about Rae’s longing for her parents to be together. She sings, “Wish my mom and dad could have been in lovе / Guess some things werеn’t meant to last forever.” So, is the whole song about her parents’ divorce? Here’s a look at the lyrics.

Like most of her songs, Rae’s “Headphones On” has a techno, hyper-pop vibe to it, which makes it easy to dance to and get stuck in your head. Rae begins by singing: “Guess I gotta accept the pain / Need a cigarette to make me feel better.” She goes on to describe how she makes the most out of hard times by putting her headphones on and knowing that “life’s no fun through clear waters.” 

In the first verse, Rae reveals more of herself with the line: “Wish my mom and dad could’ve been in love.” Rae’s parents’ relationship has been a matter of public scrutiny after her dad was alleged to have cheated on her mom with a young influencer back in July 2022. The two reportedly separated a year before the rumors went public.

Rae continues her confessional by admitting: “I compare my life to the new It Girl. Jealousy’s a riptide, it pulls me under.” Clearly, things in her life — such as her parents’ relationship and her celebrity status — challenge Rae, and make it hard to “surrender to the moment.” 

The song ultimately ends on a happy note, with Rae explaining how she’s “gonna dance till the wheels fall off,” meaning she’ll stay positive until the worries and thoughts that hold her back fall away. The “Headphones On” music video perfectly displays this, too. While Rae begins wiping away tears while working at a grocery store in Iceland, but once she puts her headphones on, she is shown riding a horse and singing along enthusiastically. It’s very clear that music is a coping mechanism for Rae to deal with the stresses of life. 

“Headphones On” is the fourth single of what is expected to be an upcoming album. At Coachella weekend one, Rae performed as a guest with Arca. During the set, Rae revealed her underwear, which read “June 6.” Fans believe it’s the expected release date of her album. 

With the success of songs like “Diet Pepsi” and the hype “Headphones On” is getting, I’m excited to see what Rae does next. If she keeps this up, she will definitely be the next big thing in pop. 

Sydney Flaherty

Emerson '26

Sydney Flaherty is a national writer for Her Campus Media. She writes for the Style vertical on the site, including beauty, decor, and fashion coverage.

Beyond Her Campus, Sydney is a junior at Emerson College in Boston, MA, majoring in Writing, Literature, and Publishing with a minor in History. She works as the style section editor of the on-campus publication, Atlas Magazine, where she selects and edits multiple style-related stories every semester. She writes and edits for multiple other on-campus magazines while also working as a writing tutor at Emerson.

In her free time, Sydney loves to go on excessively long walks while blasting Taylor Swift, Chappell Roan, and the occasional Ed Sheeran (she is a certified Sheerio). You can usually find Sydney at a thrift store perusing the sweater section or listening to literally any historical fiction audiobook available.