Songfacts®:

• "Headphones On" is Addison Rae's musical sanctuary, a confessional set to a trip-hop soundtrack. Her coping mechanism when troubled is putting on her headphones and losing herself in her favorite songs.
• The lyrics draw from Rae's own life, referencing her parents' public divorce and the unrelenting comparison machine of modern fame.
  
  "This song is deeply connected to me in so many ways," said Rae. "Writing it was healing, emotional, and extremely spiritual. Every good thing comes my way. Because I choose to be good."
• Addison Rae co-wrote "Headphones On" with producers Elvira Anderfjärd and Luka Kloser, who are both signed to Max Martin's publishing company, MXM studios. The song and much of the Addison album was directly inspired by Madonna's 1998 Ray of Light record. Rae, Kloser, and Anderfjärd have cited Ray of Light as a key influence, particularly in terms of its ethereal, trance-pop sound and introspective lyricism.
• To capture the authentic '90s house and trance-pop feel, Kloser and Anderfjärd used the 1988 Korg M1 synthesizer, a signature instrument of the era and a staple in classic house music. This synthesizer helped evoke the lush, pulsating textures and dreamy atmosphere associated with Ray of Light.
• The music video was directed by Mitch Ryan, who also shot Rae's previous video for "High Fashion." Filmed in Reykjavik, Iceland, it's an escapist visual journey that mirrors the song's themes of using music to get away from life's troubles. Part 2004-set indie film, part Icelandic pop princess Björk fanfic, we see Rae escape her grocery-store shift by putting on wired earbuds. The moment she presses play, her fluorescent reality melts into an Icelandic dreamscape of mossy plains and glacial chic. She even has the Icelandic flag painted on her nails.