No one in pop music is more interesting than Addison Rae. Her song, “Diet Pepsi” went viral, but the music video revealed Rae’s deep and dazzling understanding of American pop culture archetypes and iconography. Instantly iconic shit.
In the music video for her latest single, “Headphones On,” Rae plays with pink hair — oft worn by pop music foremothers — making it electric. Her pink, thanks to celebrity hairstylist Lucas Wilson, is the hottest imaginable. Naturally, we needed to know everything so we reached out to Wilson directly.
Read on for our conversation.
The Tease: Can you comment on the significance of pink in the “Headphones On” music video?
Lucas Wilson: We wanted to create a visual distinction between reality and fantasy — what happens when you let music take you on a journey. What does that look like? Pink hair has definitely come to signify a kind of fantastical departure from the self, so it felt like a natural choice.
How early on did you and Addison settle on the pink hair? Was there any discussion of actually dyeing her hair, or was it always going to be a wig?
Wilson: Working with Addison is such a pleasure because she really understands the world that I — and most of her team — come from. She knows her fashion history and understands the importance of references. She was actually the one who first came to me with the pink hair reference. There was some talk about coloring her hair, but because pink is so bright and vibrant, we would have had to put her hair through a lot. So, we opted for a wig.
The neon pink really pops in this video, especially against the Icelandic landscapes. How did you settle on Good Dye Young’s “Ex-Girl”?
Wilson: I’m really happy with how the pink turned out. Our first shot was of Addison on the horse at the black sand beach, and I think it was a great way to set the tone for the shoot. I had only worked with Good Dye Young once before, but I was really impressed by their formula. It’s a very thick, almost conditioner-like consistency, so I had a lot of control during application.
Talk to us about coloring the wig. Any advice for pros taking on a similar project?
Wilson: I used a human full lace wig with a stretch cap and started by toning it down with a little purple shampoo — just to neutralize the yellow tones. Then I applied “Ex-Girl” in small sections, avoiding the roots. Sometimes with color baths and when color is applied all the way to the root, it can look a bit manufactured. I decided to let the root breathe a little, and I really like the effect it gives.
Quite a lot of the video features shots of the Icelandic horses and their wild manes, which seems to be echoed in your hairstyling. Was that intentional? How did you get the effect with the pink wig? What products did you have on set, if any?
Wilson: The ultimate goal was for the wig to look just like Addison’s real hair. She has such a great natural wave, so I wanted to recreate that in the wig. Because Iceland is so rainy and misty, I knew I needed a wig with a body wave, so that’s what I went for. After that, it was just about mimicking her cut — and using a ton of Bumble and bumble’s Don’t Blow It. It’s an amazing product if you just want your hair to look like the best version of itself.
Now that the video is out, what do you think?
Wilson: That’s such a thoughtful question, thank you. I love it. I love getting to work with my friends and bounce around so many fun ideas. So many people involved in this video helped in ways they might not even realize. Of course, I’m an artist, so there are a few things I might have done differently or tweaked — but ultimately, I’m very happy and grateful to be a part of it.
Watch the official video for Addison Rae’s “Headphones On” below.
Addison, the singer’s self-titled debut album, is out June 6th. For more from Lucas Wilson, be sure to follow him on Instagram.
