Addison Rae is four for four right now. Ahead of her debut album’s release this summer (June 6th can’t come soon enough), the internet personality-turned-pop princess dropped a few back-to-back bangers: “Diet Pepsi,” “Aquamarine,” “High Fashion,” and now, “Headphones On.” The first three songs explore love and sensuality over tantalizing synths and chiming electronic beats capable of bringing anyone to the dance floor.
“Headphones On” still pays homage to the feel-good production of the early aughts while diving into deeper topics in its confessional lyricism. “Guess I gotta accept the pain / Need a cigarette to make me feel better,” she croons in the chorus.
Addison first teased the track with a TikTok video on April 8, in which she glides through a roller rink in a sheer pink baby doll dress. Now that the song and Iceland-set music video are officially here, our headphones are on, and we’re ready to dive into the lyrics and their meaning.
Lyrics provided by Genius.
[Intro]
Put your headphones on
[Chorus]
Guess I gotta accept the pain
Need a cigarette to make me feel better
Every good thing comes my way
So I still get dolled up
Guess I gotta accept the pain
Need a cigarette to make me feel better
Every good thing comes my way
So I
The track actually starts with its hook, which repeats throughout the song. Addison accepts that the hardships and pain she’s feeling are part of life, and she’s seemingly picked up a smoking habit to cope. She moves forward by getting dressed up and going out, and she even includes an affirmation to make sure good things keep coming her way.
[Post-Chorus]
So I put my headphones on (I put my headphones on)
Listen to my favorite song (Listen to my favorite song)
Soaking up the rain (Ah)
Letting my hair down (Uh-huh)
So I put my headphones on
Come and put your headphones on
Been through a rough breakup and turned on some Fleetwood Mac, Taylor Swift, or Olivia Rodrigo? We all have, because music truly heals, and Addison knows that, too. She puts her headphones on and turns the rest of the world off to move forward with her life.
During an interview, Addison gushed about Carly Simon’s 1978 album, Boys in the Trees, and got candid about her love for putting on a good record every once in a while. “For me personally, music is so active. I think it’s like its own thing,” she explained. “That’s kind of how it used to be, when people would get records and CDs. You were like, ‘Alright, time to listen to this album, and this is my time to enjoy this album.’ There’s nothing else going on while I’m listening to it.”
[Verse]
Wish my mom and dad could have been in lovе
Guess some things werеn’t meant to last forever
I compare my life to the new it girl
Jealousy’s a rip tide, it pulls me under
There’s only one verse on the song, but she makes the most out of its four lines to let her guard down and share some grievances. Addison seemingly broke her silence on her family drama that made headlines in 2022. At the time, it was reported that her dad, Monty Lopez, had allegedly been unfaithful to her mom, Sheri Easterling, with 28-year-old content creator Reneé Ash. Addison’s parents hashed everything out pretty publicly with shady TikToks and cryptic Instagram messages, and things have seemed to calm down since then. According to People, Sheri and Monty had reportedly split in 2021, a whole year before the drama unfolded.
“Personal matters being brought public are always challenging and overwhelming for anyone involved,” Sheri wrote in response to Reneé’s bombshell Page Six interview, per Rolling Stone. “I will be okay. My biggest concern is — and always will be — my children and their fragile hearts and minds. I will always do my best to try to protect them.”
All of this was happening as Addison’s star was on the rise. She starred in Netflix’s He’s All That, dropped a line of Y2K-inspired dolls, and started two beauty ventures, Item Beauty and Addison Rae Fragrances. Not to mention, her single “Obsessed” also dropped and kick-started her blossoming music career. The pressure was on, and she likely compared herself to her peers as they continued to blow up while the drama in her personal life seemingly came crashing down.
[Pre-Chorus]
[Chorus]
[Post-Chorus]
[Bridge]
I know the lows are what makes the highs higher
So I tell myself this as a reminder
Life’s no fun through clear waters
She moves into spoken-word on the bridge, where she reassures herself that the hard times are what make life what it is. She appreciates the fun, light-hearted times more because of the adversity she’s faced.
[Pre-Chorus]
[Chorus]
[Post-Chorus]
[Outro]
Gonna dance, gonna dance ’til the wheels fall off
You know I can’t get enough
Gonna dance, gonna dance ’til the wheels fall off
You know I can’t get enough
Gonna dance, gonna dance ’til the wheels fall off
You know I can't get enough
Gonna dance, gonna dance ’til the wheels fall off
’Til the wheels fall off
