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“High Fashion” By Addison Rae: A Breakdown Behind the Song 

The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Mizzou chapter.

From TikTok star to pop icon, Addison Rae has been taking the music industry by storm. Different from the rest Rae takes an artsy approach to her music. Getting her start in 2019, on the popular platform TikTok, Rae became famous for her dance videos. Deciding to take a step deeper into the scene, Rae released her first single “Obsessed” in 2021, which was considered to be unsuccessful by record labels. This was not a halt in her music career though, in 2022 some of her unreleased songs got leaked from her YouTube. The public reacted fondly to her music and she ended up releasing all the unreleased music as an EP.

In her latest single “High Fashion” the singer gives us a track that celebrates love and self-expression. So, let’s take a moment to understand Rae’s lyrics. We know that Rae is known for her unique style choices, so it’s no shock the song is called “High Fashion”. She starts the song with a blend of high falsettos and synthetic beats which lead into her vocals. 

Rae jumps right into the first verse singing about how she yearns for the attention and confidence that clothes give her. 

“I don’t need your drugs/I’d rather get, rather get high fashion,” Rae sings claiming that she does not need drugs because she gets the high from wearing clothes. She suggests that the power of clothes can be so addicting, it makes her feel empowered and sexy. 

Followed by the lyrics “I don’t want cheap love/I’d rather get high fashion,” Rae makes a comparison between love and clothes. Meaning that if love fails you there will always be a good pair of shoes or clothes to make you feel better. 

Rae continues to softly whisper and sing the chorus, she continues repeating this through the short lived song. She plays around with the hypnotic beats putting you through a dreamy listening experience. Rae is able to turn a song about shopping into something spiritual. 

“High Fashion” is an empowering song about loving yourself first and making yourself feel better. With such a signature style to her music, critics have categorized her music as dance and synth pop. Addison Rae continues to prove she is one of the best rebrands in the industry and I cannot wait to watch her take off. 

Faythe Faulkner is a Sophomore at Mizzou studying Journalism. She loves to write about all things pop culture, entertainment, and fashion. When not studying or writing, Faythe can be found thrifting, reading, and spending time with her friends.