On the Austin City Limits Live at Moody Theater stage stood a gothic, New Orleans-style wrought iron gate, with elaborate motifs spiraling around a magnificent “A” in the middle. The intricate metalwork caught purple and blue stage lights as a grand chandelier with lit candles hung overhead.
Addison Rae’s career began with viral TikToks, which garnered 88.3 million followers and landed her a spot in the coveted Hype House. She then pivoted into pop music in 2021. While her debut track, “Obsessed,” was heavily criticized, this year’s album, Addison, proved she could shed her social media influencer skin.
Austin served as the first stop in the U.S. on her first headlining tour, the performance serving as an unapologetic statement that she belongs in the pop music conversation.
The stage lights shifted to red and slowly moved offstage as dancers swept the gate open, leading the crowd to surge forward with phones raised. Red lights flashed across the venue as a remix of Rae’s “Fame is a Gun” played while her dancers posed across a small platform. Rae then emerged as the original version began, wearing a knee-length pink dress with a full, puffy skirt and a white apron over the costume.
As the bridge began, Rae moved strikingly from side to side until one of her dancers dramatically ripped her pink dress away to reveal a black, lingerie-inspired set, consisting of a bustier top and matching bottoms with a garter belt and thigh-high stockings.
She transformed her stage presence from enchanting to sultry, channeling the unrestrained sexual energy that defined the late ‘90s. She commanded the venue with a distinct Southern confidence that felt both nostalgic and her own. This theme continued in her choreography to “I got it bad.”
A memorable moment from the evening included Rae ascending on an industrial staircase for the remainder of “New York” and into “Summer Forever,” where her movements shifted to a romantic choreography that perfectly captured the song’s dreamy and ethereal feel.
Rae performed fan favorites, such as Charli XCX’s “Von dutch” remix, complete with her viral scream. During the track’s bridge, Rae selected two members from the audience and encouraged the entire theater to join her in screaming.
Shortly after the fan interactions, Rae left the stage and returned in a reflective silver mini dress with sparkling knee-high boots to perform “In the Rain.” True to her wardrobe, she then revealed a shimmering two-piece set for “High Fashion.”
Among the evening’s favorites, “Aquamarine” hypnotized with its mesmerizing dance sequence, while “Money is Everything” showed off Rae’s playful personality as green confetti dropped. For her finale, she returned to “Diet Pepsi,” her breakout hit, wearing an elaborate white costume similar to her feathered, swan-inspired look from the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards.
The performance proved the TikTok star has found her place on the pop stage, claiming the beginning of her musical reign.
