Obsessed (Addison Rae song)

"Obsessed" is the debut single by American singer-songwriter Addison Rae, released on March 19, 2021, through Sandlot Records. The song peaked at number ten on the US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart. The song was originally intended to be the lead single from Rae's debut extended play AR in 2021, but the project was shelved due to Rae's lack of confidence. The EP was later officially released August 18, 2023, with "Obsessed" as a Spotify-exclusive bonus track on the EP.

Background and composition
"Obsessed" is a dance-pop song. The lyrics are about a relationship and self-hate. At a young age, Rae was influenced by her mother's playlist which included music from the 1990s and 2000s. In an interview with Vogue, Rae identifies Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears, and Katy Perry as musical influences. She cited Taylor Swift as an inspiration for the song.

Production
Preceding the release, Rae worked with songwriter Jacob Kasher Hindlin (Jkash) to study songwriting. Rae released the song through Hindlin's independent label, Sandlot Records. They worked with manager Adam Mersel, and publicists Katie Greenthal and Courtni Asbury of The Lede Company. After four months in the Hindlin's studio, Rae and her team developed most of "Obsessed" in one session.

Critical reception
"Obsessed" was critically panned; in a review for PopDust, music critic Langa stated "Addison Rae's embarrassing new single 'Obsessed' proves she should stick to lip syncing". Zoe Haylock of Vulture negatively compared Rae's use of whispering to Selena Gomez. Writing for Entertainment Weekly, Nick Romano described the lyrics as "[reading] more like a text exchange", while assuming the message was "about how obsessed [Rae] is with herself", in contrast with what Rae intended, writing "the execution may have gotten lost in translation".

Writing for British Vogue in 2023, Amel Mukhtar described "Obsessed" as "fabulously camp" and wondered: "Was it shallow trash, or tongue-in-cheek art?"

In a 2023 article for Vogue, Rae revealed that the criticism she received from the song almost made her quit music entirely, as it made her believe that she wasn’t good enough for the industry.

Commercial performance
In the United States, the song debuted at its peak of number 10 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart issue dated April 3, 2021, which serves as a twenty-five slot extension to the main Billboard Hot 100.

Promotion
Rae performed "Obsessed" on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, marking her debut appearance on a late-night talk show. She released accompanying clothing and poster merchandise.

Music video
The music video, directed by Diane Martel, includes dances choreographed by Sara Biv and Calvit Hodge. On the day of its release, the single was the sixth video trending on YouTube. Kyle Luu was the stylist. In parts of the video, Rae wore catsuits by LaQuan Smith, clothing by Mugler and a fake fur Gucci bolero. Her white Dion Lee corset was inspired by the Britney Spears' music video for "Sometimes". The catsuit was influenced by the music video of "Say You'll Be There" by the Spice Girls.