Inside Look: Tate McRae
Tate McRae by Lissyelle
From YouTube to the top of the charts, singer-songwriter, dancer, and Canadian pop artist on the rise, Tate McRae’s journey into the industry spotlight is a unique one. Though many of you may know the story of how the aspiring backup dancer turned chart-topping artist became the voice behind some of today’s most viral hits, we’re shedding light on Tate McRae’s musical journey to help inspire other aspiring young artists across the globe.
Even though she was always surrounded by music, from a younger age, Tate’s focus was on dancing with hopes to someday become a backup dancer. It wasn’t until her first song “One Day” went viral on YouTube that she felt power in songwriting.
After reaching YouTube fame, the world wanted to hear more from Tate McRae, so after later signing a deal with RCA records, she delivered one song after the other, building on her music career. For Tate, writing has always been very therapeutic and an outlet to express how she felt when she couldn’t talk about it. The result was and still is very authentic and relatable music, like a page ripped from her diary. Approaching her songwriting without a filter, she has always been brutally honest with her audience and her fans who have named themselves the “Tatertots.”
Because her music career was built upon the bright personality she shared on her YouTube channel, fans and listeners recognized the artist when her heartfelt hit “you broke me first” blew up on TikTok and received airplay on mainstream radio stations. Having connected to her deep lyrics, that single, among other songs such as “feel like shit” and “chaotic” broke fans into a million pieces and put them back together at the same time. When you listen to lyrics like Tate McRae’s, you might finally feel understood. Her debut album, i used to think i could fly, is as honest and vulnerable as it gets and is certainly my most streamed album this year. Personally, I would say it’s an emotional masterpiece.
I was lucky enough to meet Tate in person a few times and see her perform live on tour and at the MTV EMAs this year. She is, without a doubt, one of the kindest and most genuine human beings I have ever met. The way she makes everyone around her feel so loved and has such a bright aura around her is incredible. Tate treats her fans like family and takes the time to meet them whenever she can, and if you have never seen her perform, this is your sign that you should. Not only does she incorporate her incredible dancing skills into her performances and leaves the crowd screaming out of excitement, but her voice has such a unique and angelic tone that makes your heart melt on the spot. For fans, her shows are the best kind of therapy.
Besides her talent for singing, writing, and dancing, she is also very involved in choreographing her shows and music videos. At just nineteen years old, Tate is vocal about what she does and doesn’t want, drawing from courage, self-belief, and confidence to express what she wants to be reflected in her artistry. The artist’s drive and talent even led her to becoming the youngest member of the Forbes 30 under 30 music Class of 2021. Knowing how far she has come already and the massive experience she has gained, there is no doubt in my mind that Tate McRae is an artist who is just at the beginning of all her successes.
While a lot of fans are encouraging their favorite artists to incorporate fan engagement into their campaigns and mission, Tate already has it figured out – using TikTok to get her fans excited about her unreleased music and making it a point to create music for her fans first. After teasing her song, “uh oh,” online, fans became excited anticipating the released and when they asked for her to drop the song, she listened and released it earlier than planned.
The world is changing, music is more relatable than ever and young female artists like Tate McRae are setting a remarkable example. So let’s do our parts by showing support, streaming her music, and amplifying incredible voices like hers.