Charli xcx Explains Why People Are ‘Envious’ of Addison Rae

Charli xcx met Addison Rae years ago, when the TikToker-turned-artist was first starting to write songs. Since then, the two have traded features on each other’s work: Charli guested on Rae’s early track “2 Die 4” and Rae returned the favor by jumping on the “Von Dutch” remix. But even outside the studio, Charli and Rae have struck up a friendship built on mutual admiration.

On Wednesday (Aug. 13), Rae and her collaborators Elvira Anderfjärd and Luka Kloser cover Billboard‘s annual Producers Issue to talk through the creation of Rae’s debut album, Addison. For the story, Rae reflected on what she learned from being part of Charli’s brat, saying, “I think what was so special about what [Charli] did [with brat] was that it was so true to her, and there was just kind of no other way to categorize it. So for me, I just tried to be as intentional and free flowing as possible, which is a hard combination… I think that was something that [Charli did] so gracefully.”

Charli also shared her thoughts about Rae to Billboard for the cover story, noting her two favorite tracks are “Fame Is A Gun” and “Money Is Everything.” “I love it when she talks really specifically about her journey to where she is now because her journey’s so unique,” says Charli. “It’s hard to flip the public perception of you — and she did it effortlessly. People are envious of that. I love hearing her talk about about voyeurism, fame, money. She tells stories in a really cool and potent way.”

During Billboard’s conversation with Rae, the singer describes the challenge of trying to find her sound while existing in the public eye. Her first single, “Obsessed,” released in 2021, was widely panned by critics and fans alike. “Initially, I was pretty let down by myself in a lot of ways, because I had such high expectations,” Rae said. “And then over time, I just completely let that go and released it.”

Rae also described how the release of “Diet Pepsi,” the first single from Addison and her first song written with Anderfjärd and Kloser, released in August 2024, transformed public opinion, even though some in her inner circle initially had doubts about the song. “There were people I played it to who were like, ‘I don’t know if this is what people want from you,'” Rae remembered. “And I was like, ‘Well, I don’t think people know what they want from me.'”

The song went on to be a breakthrough for Rae, peaking at No. 54 on the Billboard Hot 100 and marking her as a pop star to watch. Rae credits Charli, and the experience of working on “Von Dutch” shortly before “Diet Pepsi” was written, as a creative turning point. “Charli really gave me the confidence as a writer, honestly. That’s why I felt so sure going into our sessions [for Addison.] Most of the sessions I had done before the ‘Von Dutch’ remix session with Charli, I had a lot of writers in the room, and I was feeling like I was leaning on writers a lot. Charli really leaned on me and gave me so much confidence, and that’s really when a big shift happened for me as far as being a songwriter.”

Charli has noticed the shift, too: “Every time I’ve written with her she’s just become more and more confident in who she is, which, yes, happens with every artist, but I feel like her growth and evolution has been expedited because she knows herself and because she’s truly not worried about what people think of her. She goes off into her own world and is her own source of inspiration. She makes it happen for herself. That’s how you evolve.”

When Billboard asked Rae why she thinks she’s managed to become as successful as she has, Rae remarked that “fearlessness” and “timing” are big contributors to it. Charli agreed, also noting her “fearlessness and joie de vivre.”

“She really is living in the moment and experimenting with whatever she wants to in a totally non-jaded and fantastic way,” Charli adds. “It’s really rare to see in this day and age where everyone’s so worried about doing something right or wrong or being cool or relevant or whatever. Her artistic flare is so pure and true to who she is and what she wants. It’s special.”