Taking the pop industry by storm, Tate McRae is exactly what the music industry has been waiting for. It seems like the rise of dance-pop and superstars is making a comeback.
Coming from the professional dance world and aspiring to be a backup dancer, McRae’s stage presence and identity as a performer are so strong. So, it’s no surprise she has combined her insane dance skills with her newly improving vocals. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t a McRae fan until her “I Used to Think I Could Fly” debut album, and even then, I felt her vocals weren’t up to par with the other popstars out there. Well, she’s proven me wrong, and I’m so glad she did.
Since her debut album was released in May 2022 with the singles “Feel Like Shit” and “She’s All I Wanna Be,” she’s built her brand as a dance and singer combo. It wasn’t until her album “Think Later” in 2023 that she finally blew up on social media. Her lead single, “Greedy,” climbed to the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100, eventually reaching No. 3 in a matter of months. Part of its success stems from the iconic hockey-themed music video where McRae dances her way through an ice rink and rides a Zamboni. The nod to hockey through her lyrics and album cover allowed her to reach a completely new audience: sports fans. Men and women alike flocked to listen to the album, and soon enough, everyone knew the name Tate McRae. The album did so well when it was released in December 2023 that in February 2024, McRae performed during the intermission of the National Hockey League’s All-Star Game.
Now, McRae is being dubbed the next Britney Spears, especially with the coming off of her newly announced album “So Close To What,” which is scheduled to be released on Feb. 21, 2025. She is currently on her “Think Later World Tour,” but that didn’t stop her from releasing two new singles, announcing her third studio album and the “Miss Possessive Tour.” Does this girl ever sleep?
She debuted her first single from “So Close To What” called “It’s ok I’m ok” back in August, live at Madison Square Garden. Stunning fans when she came out for the encore with a headset microphone and a backing track that wasn’t “Greedy.” The song’s vibe is so 90s and 2000s pop, bringing back those classic Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera uptempo dance beats. And in true McRae fashion, the song gives a sassy standoff with the lyrics, “It’s okay, I’m okay, had him in the first place/It’s okay, I’m okay/It’s okay, I’m okay, I don’t really gotta say/It’s okay/You can have him anyway/I don’t want him anyway, girl, take him.”
Last Thursday, McRae released her next single, “2 hands” and dropped, in my opinion, the most insane music video I’ve seen this year, aside from Sabrina Carpenter’s “Taste.” The music video is straight out of “Fast & Furious” with its motorsport theme. Once again, appealing to the sports fans, especially those who watch Formula 1 and NASCAR. McRae winds up getting behind the wheel of an orange McLaren 750S, speeding down the street in a matching orange race suit with light purple detailing. She’s also seen dancing on top of and around an old 1986 Cadillac Fleetwood at a gas station. Talk about putting the pedal to the metal with the nods to car culture. The costumes and set design for this video are crazy good, and the choreography by Sean Bankhead was the cherry on top.
“2 hands” is the type of song that makes you wanna roll the windows down on the highway and let loose. Its main character beat and catchy lyrics will get stuck in your head for days. She sings, “I just want you two hands on me/At all times, baby/If you let go/Better put ‘em right back fast/Want your two hands on me/Like my life needs savin’/Let ‘em all know/Can you do it like that? Yeah.” McRae is making a name for herself with her hot and heavy lyrics, bringing back the “…Baby One More Time” and “Toxic” style songs. She dubbed this track one of the first “love songs” she’s written in a while and even admitted that this next album is authentically her.
McRae is taking control of her identity and her career isn’t slowing down for any yellow lights. She’ll be making pitstops at venues such as Madison Square Garden, Wells Fargo Center, and TD Garden with special guest Zara Larsson. As someone who saw her on the “Think Later” tour, the “Miss Possessive” tour is going to knock her past album off the podium and slide into first place (P1).
