Tate McRae: A Y2K Dream
Tate McRae: A Y2K Dream
By Brooklyn Hoffmann - February 17th, 2025
Canadian singer, songwriter, and dancer Tate McRae has already had an exciting year to say the least. In the last few weeks, snippets from her third studio album leaked online, she released a new song and music video from said album, and she joined Hailey Bieber in the latest Rhode campaign.
Graphic by Lana Welborn
Born in Calgary, Alberta, Tate McRae was raised by a lawyer for oil and gas companies and a dance instructor. McRae began recreational dance training at age six and went on to train more intensively in different categories.
She first gained prominence as the first Canadian finalist on the American reality television series “So You Think You Can Dance” in 2016. She has since perfected a pop-princess aesthetic heavily reminiscent of 2000s icons such as Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera.
McRae is no stranger to the spotlight, but she has recently gained a following that is absolutely entranced by her every move. Her first song “One Day” went viral on YouTube after she posted it on her channel Create With Tate in 2017. Her 2020 debut single “You Broke Me First” was a breakthrough hit that spent 38 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100.
These early releases were categorized as ‘sad girl music’—a genre of music that’s often described as soft, melodic, and slow. It’s characterized by emotional lyrics that explore heartbreak, longing, and rejection. Tate McRae's music has evolved from raw emotion to a more pop-oriented sound, with her latest album Think Later (2023) showcasing her growth as an artist.
On September 15, 2023, McRae released “Greedy,” which became her biggest song on Spotify to date and her first top 10 on the Global Spotify Charts. The song debuted at #1 in Norway and Denmark, and peaked at #1 in several countries including Canada, Austria, and the Netherlands, as well as the Billboard Global 200; making it her first official #1 single worldwide. “Greedy” was a commercial success and acted as the lead single off her then-upcoming sophomore studio album. In November, she released a follow-up single titled “Exes,” which also peaked in the top 10 in Canada. Think Later was released December 8, 2023, and is widely categorized as a career-defining shift for McRae. The album took the singer from one adept in melancholic ballads to a pop powerhouse.
So Close to What is McRae’s upcoming third studio album and is scheduled to be released through RCA Records February 21, 2025. Three singles have preceded the album’s release, and each was a creative risk that showcased McRae pushing her boundaries and experimenting with her sound. Each song is backed by a distinctive beat, heavily reminiscent of work by American producer and rapper Timbaland in the 2000s.
McRae’s most recent single is titled “Sports car,”and its music video is the star’s most impressive yet, showcasing the singer dancing in 12 distinct looks. Before the video’s release, McRae told Vogue, “There was so much discomfort with this video. I wore wigs for the first time, which was a risk for me because I’ve always had my hair and my look. But Bardia and Brett, for this video, pushed me in a scary direction. I think I got to show so many characters that I didn’t even know existed.”
The clothing consisted of both current ready-to-wear lines and archival pulls. One look included a Balmain motocross top, Revzilla helmet, Residency moto gloves, and Casadei heels.
Along with the release of “Sports car,” McRae appeared alongside Hailey Bieber in the latest campaign for Bieber’s beauty brand Rhode to launch its new lip contour product. McRae appeared in a high-neck form-fitting brown top with a blue silk mini skirt. Her makeup included dramatic smokey eyes and a caramel-brown lip created by the Rhode peptide lip shape in the shade “balance.” One shot in particular—in which Bieber and the rest of the models are pictured next to each other in pastel outfits—references a Versace advertisement from the 1990s. The original campaign featured Nadja Auermann, Christy Turlington Burns, Claudia Schiffer, Cindy Crawford, and Stephanie Seymour.
McRae’s shocking transformation into a pop icon with a stage presence comparable to a young Britney Spears has skyrocketed her career. Pop culture critics are eager for another star with the kind of energy that commands a room and forces all eyes on her. McRae is quickly gaining traction, and it appears that she will only grow in popularity with the release of her upcoming album.
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