AR (EP)

{{Infobox album

| name = AR

| type = EP

| artist = Addison Rae

| cover = Addison Rae - Addison Rae.png

| alt = A photo of the artist staring directly into the camera and blowing bubblegum.

| caption = Cover for all digital formats and CDs

| released = {{start date|2023|08|18}}

| recorded = 2020–2021

| genre =

Pop
synth-pop
electropop
bubblegum pop{{cite magazine |last=Spanos |first=Brittany |date=2024-08-09 |title=Addison Rae Is Sweet Like 'Diet Pepsi' on Major Label Debut |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/addison-rae-diet-pepsi-major-label-debut-1235076547/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240809044121/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/addison-rae-diet-pepsi-major-label-debut-1235076547/ |archive-date=August 9, 2024 |access-date=2024-08-19 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}}

| length = 9:42

| label = Sandlot

| producer =

| next_title = Addison

| next_year = 2025

}}

AR is the debut extended play by American singer Addison Rae. It was released on August 18, 2023, through Sandlot Records. AR is a pop and bubblegum pop record with influences of electropop, synth-pop and dance-pop, which Rolling Stone described as "plasticky, pristine pop that online audiences ironically, and then unironically, eat up." It consists of four songs, while Rae's debut single "Obsessed" appears as a bonus track on Spotify.{{cite web |url=https://open.spotify.com/album/4HFL8GJomswlqQwqJGwKDt |title=AR - EP by Addison Rae on Spotify |date=August 23, 2023 |access-date=August 23, 2023 |publisher=Spotify}}

The EP was met with positive reviews for its earworms, catchy hooks, and Rae's ability to channel the nostalgia of the 2000s and 2010s pop era.{{Cite magazine |last=Zhang |first=by: Cat |date=2023-08-18 |title=Addison Rae - Albums, Songs, and News |url=https://pitchfork.com/artists/addison-rae/ |access-date=2024-03-28 |magazine=Pitchfork |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Ones To Watch |url=http://www.onestowatch.com/en/blog/addison-rae-ar-listen |access-date=2024-03-28 |website=Ones to Watch |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Johnson |first=Cassidy |date=2023-09-20 |title=Addison Rae is bringing back Y2K pop |url=https://advancetitan.com/arts-and-culture/2023/09/20/addison-rae-is-bringing-back-y2k-pop |access-date=2024-08-18 |website=The Advance-Titan}} On Spotify, the project was ranked among the top 10 biggest opening weeks for a female EP in Spotify history with 6.6 million streams. The EP also debuted at number 19 on the US Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart.{{Cite magazine |last=devops |date=2013-01-02 |title=Heatseekers Albums |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/heatseekers-albums/ |access-date=2024-03-28 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US}}

Background

In March 2021, Rae released her debut single "Obsessed".{{Cite magazine |last=Mamo |first=Heran |date=2021-03-19 |title=Addison Rae Gets Fans "Obsessed" With Surprise Debut Single & Music Video |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/addison-rae-obsessed-debut-single-music-video-9543722/ |access-date=2023-08-15 |magazine=Billboard |language=en-US}} Two months later, she began teasing the release of a debut album.{{Cite web |date=2021-05-19 |title=How Addison Rae's Relationship With Ex Bryce Hall Inspired Her New Music |url=https://www.eonline.com/news/1271111/how-addison-raes-relationship-with-ex-bryce-hall-inspired-her-new-music |access-date=2023-08-15 |website=E! Online}} She revealed that album would be about "experiences that [she's] gone through or feelings that [she's] had and just different mindsets that [she's] kind of been in over the past year". In June 2021, It was revealed that Rae was working on an extended play (EP) with artists such as Charli XCX and Benny Blanco, and that she had four songs ready to be released.{{Cite web |last=Shanfeld |first=Ethan |date=2021-07-21 |title=Addison Rae Reveals She's Working on Upcoming EP with Charli XCX, Benny Blanco |url=https://variety.com/2021/music/news/addison-rae-upcoming-ep-charli-xcx-benny-blanco-1235024897/ |access-date=2023-08-15 |website=Variety |language=en-US}} In September 2021, Rae was supposed to perform live at iHeartRadio Music Festival but she later announced that she isn't ready to perform yet.{{Cite web |date=2021-09-17 |title=Addison Rae Explains Why She Won't Be Performing at the iHeartRadio Music Festival |url=https://www.seventeen.com/celebrity/music/a37633920/addison-rae-pulls-out-iheartradio-music-festival/ |access-date=2023-08-15 |website=Seventeen |language=en-US}} Despite its supposed release in 2021, the project was shelved after the reception of Rae's debut single, and she considered giving up on music entirely.{{cite web |title=Addison Rae is working with Charli XCX on New Music |url=https://www.papermag.com/addison-rae-charli-xcx#rebelltitem12 |access-date=22 July 2021 |website=Paper Magazine |publisher=Tray Alston}}{{cite web |title="I Think I'm Just A Curious Person". Addison Rae On Her Quest For Pop Perfection |date=August 26, 2023 |url=https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/addison-rae-interview |access-date=26 August 2023 |publisher=Liam Hess}}

In January 2022, snippets of Rae's unreleased tracks went viral online and garnered positive reactions. The song "I Got It Bad", which was teased in 2021, got leaked alongside "Nothing On (But the Radio)" which was originally an unreleased song recorded by Lady Gaga.{{Cite web |last=Rao |first=Karishma |date=2022-01-22 |title=Addison Rae's version of Lady Gaga's "Nothing On But the Radio" sends fans into a frenzy |url=https://www.sportskeeda.com/pop-culture/addison-rae-s-version-lady-gaga-s-nothing-on-but-radio-sends-fans-frenzy |access-date=2023-08-15 |website=Sportskeeda}} Throughout the year, more unreleased demos from Rae were leaked online.{{Cite web |title=Addison Rae responds as her old music leaks on SoundCloud |url=https://www.dexerto.com/entertainment/addison-rae-responds-as-her-old-music-leaks-on-soundcloud-1900865/ |access-date=2023-08-15 |website=Dexerto |date=August 11, 2022 |language=en}} She quickly built a cult following among "queer pop-culture obsessives" after they noticed via her Spotify that her music taste "spans recent avant-garde hip-hop to the cream of '00s Timbaland-produced R&B." After Rae saw fans' enthusiasm over the leaked material, she regained the confidence to release more music.

In February 2023, Rae began teasing new music again after she changed her Spotify bio to "Addison Rae 2023".{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Written in Partnership with Maria |date=2023-02-07 |title=Addison Rae and Her 2023 Music Release Plans, Oregon Artist NORD Collaboration |work=LA Weekly |url=https://www.laweekly.com/addison-rae-and-her-2023-music-release-plans-oregon-artist-nord-collaboration/ |access-date=2023-08-15 |language=en-US}} On August 14, 2023, Rae announced that she would be releasing an EP made up of some unreleased songs which were intended to be a part of her "lost album".{{Cite web |title=Addison Rae finally releasing leaked "lost album" songs |url=https://www.dexerto.com/entertainment/fans-think-addison-rae-is-releasing-new-music-after-countdown-appears-on-website-2248885/ |access-date=2023-08-15 |website=Dexerto |date=August 14, 2023 |language=en}} She stated she "wanted this EP to be the end note to the past few years, and a stepping stone forward in [her] career."

Reception

AR received favorable reviews from critics. Jason Lipshutz from Billboard wrote that the EP "does not sound like a collection of odds and ends: instead, the five songs engross the listener with fresh melodies and bursts of personality, showcasing the 22-year-old as a quick study within this brand of pop," adding that "the whole project is worth bookmarking as the potential start of something big."{{Cite magazine |title=Friday Music Guide: New Music From Quavo, Hozier, Doechii, Addison Rae and More |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/friday-music-guide-quavo-hozier-doechii-addison-rae-1235395072/ |access-date=2023-08-18 |magazine=Billboard |language=en}} Cat Zhang of Pitchfork stated that Rae "delivers the kind of plasticky, pristine pop that online audiences ironically, and then unironically, eat up," reviewing the track "I Got It Bad" by describing it as "a bedazzled turn-of-the-millennium pop song" and assessing that "there's an immediate reward in the song's blingy flourishes and bass-heavy breakdown."{{Cite web |title=Addison Rae: "I Got It Bad" Track Review |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/addison-rae-i-got-it-bad/ |access-date=2023-08-18 |work=Pitchfork |language=en}} Liam Hess of Vogue also highlighted "I Got It Bad" calling it "a bona fide pop masterpiece with a welcome dose of weirdness," continuing that it "recalls Britney at her peak, with an irresistible, swooping chorus and a juggernaut of a bridge."{{Cite web |title='I Think I'm Just a Curious Person': Addison Rae on Her Quest for Pop Perfection |url=https://www.vogue.com/article/addison-rae-ar-ep-interview |access-date=2023-08-21 |work=Vogue |date=August 21, 2023 |language=en}}

Nylon{{'}}s Steffanee Wang wrote that "the music is worth it. [AR]'s brand of pop is the kind you can't look too closely at because there really isn't anything much deeper to gleam. Everything it is and will be is already on display on its gleaming, shiny outside."{{Cite web |title=Addison Rae's 'AR' EP Review: A Proper Pop Star Debut |url=https://www.nylon.com/entertainment/addison-rae-leaks-2-die-4-review |access-date=2023-08-18 |work=Nylon |date=August 18, 2023 |language=en}} Larisha Paul of Rolling Stone commented that the EP "digs up some of the most anticipated songs she has teased with snippets and sneak peeks in the time since she made her musical debut," calling "2 Die 4" a standout "collaboration with pop maestro Charli XCX."{{cite magazine |date=18 August 2023 |title=Addison Rae Re-Enters Her Pop Girl Era With Lost Album Releases |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/addison-rae-ar-ep-lost-debut-album-1234808433/ |access-date=19 August 2023 |magazine=Rolling Stone}} Writing for Ones to Watch, Alessandra Rincon said that Rae "can finally add verified pop star to her ever-growing résumé," claiming that "I Got It Bad" is the song that "arguably benefitted the most from the reworked mix, introing the body of work with a new, refreshing energy," calling it "an undeniably catchy track to the point that even her cynics will likely have difficulty finding fault in this flawless pop song."{{Cite web |title=Addison Rae Embraces Her Pop Star Persona in Lost and Found 'AR' EP |url=https://www.onestowatch.com/en/blog/addison-rae-ar-listen |access-date=2023-08-18 |website=Ones to Watch |language=en}}

Commercial performance

AR debuted at number 19 on the US Billboard Heatseekers Albums and reached number forty-five on the Top Current Album Sales chart in October 2023.

Track listing

Credits adapted from the liner notes of AR.{{cite AV media notes |title=AR |type=CD liner notes |others=Addison Rae |year=2023 |publisher=Sandlot Records |id=075678613135}}

{{Track listing

| headline = AR – Standard edition

| extra_column = Producer(s)

| title1 = I Got It Bad

| writer1 = {{hlist|Addison Rae Easterling|Brett McLaughlin|Madison Love|Oscar Görres|Rami Yacoub}}

| extra1 = {{hlist|Görres|Yacoub}}

| length1 = 2:52

| title2 = 2 Die 4

| note2 = featuring Charli XCX

| length2 = 2:06

| writer2 = {{hlist|Easterling|Andrew Goldstein|McLaughlin|Charlotte Aitchison|Jacob Kasher Hindlin|Love}}

| extra2 = Goldstein

| title3 = Nothing On (But the Radio)

| length3 = 2:29

| writer3 = {{hlist|Easterling|Billy Steinberg|Hindlin|Josh Alexander|Love}}

| extra3 = {{hlist|Jack & Coke|Alexander|Steinberg}}

| title4 = It Could've Been U

| length4 = 2:15

| writer4 = {{hlist|Easterling|Alexander Glantz|Tia Scola}}

| extra4 = Alexander 23

| total_length = 9:42

}}

{{track listing

| headline = AR – Spotify bonus track

| extra_column = Producer(s)

| title5 = Obsessed

| writer5 = {{hlist|Easterling|McLaughlin|Ryan McMahon|Benjamin Levin|Blake Slatkin|Love|Scola}}

| extra5 = {{hlist|Benny Blanco|Slatkin|McMahon}}

| length5 = 2:15

| total_length = 11:57

}}Notes

"I Got It Bad" is stylized in sentence case.
"2 Die 4" and "It Could've Been U" are stylized in all lowercase.

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of AR.

= Performers =

Addison Rae – vocals (all tracks); background vocals (3)
Charli XCX – vocals (2)
Andrew Goldstein – keyboards, programming (2)
Madison Love – background vocals (3); executive producer
Jakob Hazell – bass guitar, drums, keyboards, percussion, programming (3)
Josh Alexander – bass guitar, drums, keyboards, percussion, programming (3)
Svante Halldin – bass guitar, drums, keyboards, percussion, programming (3)
Alexander 23 – bass guitar, drums, guitar, programming, synthesizer (4)

= Production and recording =

Chris Gehringer – mastering
Serban Ghenea – mixing (1–3)
John Hanes – mixing (4)
Bryce Bordone – mixing assistant
Bart Schoudel – engineering (2)
Bianca Minniti-Bean – A&R, production coordination
Jerry Edouard – A&R, production coordination

Charts

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" ! scope="col"\| Chart (2023) ! scope="col"\| Peak position
scope="row"\| US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard){{cite magazine \|title=Heatseekers Albums Chart: Week of September 2, 2023 \|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/heatseekers-albums/2023-09-02/\|magazine=Billboard \|access-date=August 29, 2023}} \| 19
scope="row"\| US Top Current Album Sales (Billboard){{cite magazine\|url= https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/addison-rae-diet-pepsi-hot-100-first-timers-1235776920/\|title=Hot 100 First-Timers: Addison Rae Debuts With Breakthrough Single ‘Diet Pepsi’\|last=Zellner\|first=Xander\|magazine=Billboard\|access-date=September 16, 2024}} \| 45

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

! scope="col"| Chart (2023)

! scope="col"| Peak
position

scope="row"| US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard){{cite magazine |title=Heatseekers Albums Chart: Week of September 2, 2023 |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/heatseekers-albums/2023-09-02/|magazine=Billboard |access-date=August 29, 2023}}

| 19

scope="row"| US Top Current Album Sales (Billboard){{cite magazine|url= https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/addison-rae-diet-pepsi-hot-100-first-timers-1235776920/|title=Hot 100 First-Timers: Addison Rae Debuts With Breakthrough Single ‘Diet Pepsi’|last=Zellner|first=Xander|magazine=Billboard|access-date=September 16, 2024}}

| 45

Release history

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" \|+ Release dates and formats for AR ! scope="col"\| Region ! scope="col"\| Date ! scope="col"\| Format(s) ! scope="col"\| Label ! scope="col"\| {{abbr\|Ref.\|Reference}}
scope="row"\| Various \| August 18, 2023 \| {{hlist\|Digital download\|streaming}} \| rowspan="3" \| Sandlot \| style="text-align:center;"\|
rowspan="2" scope="row" \| United States \| October 13, 2023 \| CD \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{cite web\|url=https://store.warnermusic.com/en/warner-music-store/atlantic-records/addison-rae/ar-signed-cd-limited-edition/075678613135.html\|title=AR Signed CD (Limited Edition) - Warner Music Official Store\|website=Warner Music Group\|access-date=August 25, 2023}}
December 1, 2023 \| LP \| style="text-align:center;"\| {{cite web\|url=https://www.urbanoutfitters.com/shop/addison-rae-ar-limited-lp?color=066&type=REGULAR&size=ONE%20SIZE&quantity=1\|title=Addison Rae - AR Limited LP - Urban Outfitters\|website=Urban Outfitters\|access-date=November 3, 2023}}

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

|+ Release dates and formats for AR

! scope="col"| Region

! scope="col"| Date

! scope="col"| Format(s)

! scope="col"| Label

! scope="col"| {{abbr|Ref.|Reference}}

scope="row"| Various

| August 18, 2023

| {{hlist|Digital download|streaming}}

| rowspan="3" | Sandlot

| style="text-align:center;"|

rowspan="2" scope="row" | United States

| October 13, 2023

| CD

| style="text-align:center;"| {{cite web|url=https://store.warnermusic.com/en/warner-music-store/atlantic-records/addison-rae/ar-signed-cd-limited-edition/075678613135.html|title=AR Signed CD (Limited Edition) - Warner Music Official Store|website=Warner Music Group|access-date=August 25, 2023}}

December 1, 2023

| LP

| style="text-align:center;"| {{cite web|url=https://www.urbanoutfitters.com/shop/addison-rae-ar-limited-lp?color=066&type=REGULAR&size=ONE%20SIZE&quantity=1|title=Addison Rae - AR Limited LP - Urban Outfitters|website=Urban Outfitters|access-date=November 3, 2023}}

References

Category:2023 debut EPs

Category:Addison Rae EPs