Addison Rae review – pop’s newest A-lister has the stagecraft of a veteran

Manchester Academy
Once a viral TikTok dancer, Rae has only performed live a handful of times, but is remarkably assured as her voice glides across pounding club-ready beats

‘The past few years have been such a dream,” says Addison Rae, as she is met with a chorus of deafening screams. Almost every word is greeted with a similar response, such is the sense of anticipation and fervour around her arrival.

Rae has set foot on a stage only a handful of times – the viral TikTok dancer and social media heavyweight turned pop star is now touring for the first time. Any sense of apprehension as to whether she is up to the task is quickly quashed. The pulsing synth-pop of Fame Is a Gun sets the tone for an evening dominated by irresistible hooks, winking fun and carefully choreographed dance moves that gracefully slink around the songs.