Diet Pepsi

Addison Rae's "Diet Pepsi" arrived on August 9, 2024, via Columbia Records, marking her major-label debut and the lead single from her debut album, Addison (2025). The track is a shimmering slice of synth-pop and alternative pop that captures what Rae calls "the immortal feeling of being young and in love." It quickly became her breakthrough moment, earning widespread critical praise and charting in multiple countries, including top-ten placements in Ireland, Singapore, and the UK, and a top-20 showing in Australia, New Zealand, and the Philippines. In the US, it became her first entry on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 54.

Critics singled out Rae's vocal performance and her use of vocal modulation, drawing favorable comparisons to early Lana Del Rey. The song landed on numerous year-end lists from major publications, including Mother Jones naming it a "Hero of 2025," describing it as "heady, lustful, and full of youthful urgency." With its dreamy production and nostalgic, sun-soaked vibe, "Diet Pepsi" signaled a confident artistic direction for Rae, moving beyond her social media origins into a space where she could be taken seriously as a musician. The track's cultural footprint extends beyond charts: Rae publicly criticized the Department of Homeland Security after the agency used the song in an ICE video without permission, and she performed it live at Lollapalooza Brazil in 2026. The song also appeared in an Uber Eats Super Bowl ad in February 2026, where Rae sips Diet Pepsi while Matthew McConaughey and Bradley Cooper squabble. [edit]