When Addison Rae reached the final stretch of completing her self-titled debut in 2024, everything seemed to crystallize with one last song: “Times Like These.” The moody track became the finishing touch on the 12-song project, built around themes of self-discovery and self-definition. Its lyrics wrestle with the chaos of transformation (“Should I jump in the unknown? Or is it better to know how it unfolds?”), dancing between nervousness and finding comfort in the idea that progress starts with a leap.
For the 25-year-old influencer-turned-pop-hopeful, that willingness wasn’t something she discovered alone. Once she teamed with Los Angeles native Luka Kloser and Stockholm-born Elvira Anderfjärd — a writer-producer duo under Max Martin’s MXM Publishing — her vision for something bold and different finally found the right support. Anderfjärd, 26, has worked on songs and remixes for Taylor Swift, Katy Perry and Tove Lo, while Kloser, 27, has credits alongside Ariana Grande and Tate McRae.
Working with a like-minded young all-female team ensured Rae shared a true sense of creative control, allowing her instincts to not just surface but take shape. “I would have never gotten as deep as I do in [‘Times Like These’] without the friendship and comfort I share with Luka and Elvira,” says Rae. “When we finished recording it, I remember feeling, ‘I don’t have anything left to say on this project.’”
That sense of conviction takes on extra weight when one considers that, historically, the recording studio has been a boys’ club, a place where a debut can feel more like a test than a launch.
“I’ve had beautiful collaborations with men before, and they never made me doubt myself, but this was different,” adds Kloser. “It made me wonder what happens when women actually hold every role? And that’s such an empowering feeling as a woman, to experience it for the first time.”
Anderfjärd adds, “It sounds silly even now, but that sense of freedom is not something you can easily master. Sometimes just one person walking into the studio can change the way you perceive what you’re making, even if the feedback is positive.”
For Rae, the challenge was part of the thrill. “I love proving myself; it’s something I’ll never shy away from,” she says. “What’s really interesting is that people will either fully accept me or really not — and I enjoy that push and pull. It’s inspiring, and it drives me to strive for perfection.”
The proof is in the reception. Rae, fresh off a plane from Australia, just wrapped a three-continent tour behind the album; soon she’ll be heading to Sweden to reunite with Anderfjärd and Kloser to continue shaping new music. And in just a few weeks, she’ll walk into Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, where she’ll compete for best new artist at the 68th Grammy Awards.
“It’s such an honor to be recognized — not just as a new artist, but as an artist at all — by the Recording Academy,” she says. “Anyone who has ever dreamed of doing what they love but feared they wouldn’t be taken seriously knows how much this kind of moment means. I’ve definitely battled with that doubt before, wondering if this could ever be possible.”
Anderfjärd concludes, “What always worked for us was our shared taste. We just wanted to make music we all genuinely like.”
