Tate McRae dances like it's 2002 again. in her "exes" music video, A clever and catchy kiss goodbye to an ex-lover, She does high kicks, does splits, and flips her hair in a Britney Spears way. Her actions sparked a surge on Twitter, with fans clipping clips from "The Ex," which included a performance of her Top 10 hit "Greed." She dances in a style that few pop stars have been able to pull off since their early days.
"Britney is an icon," McRae, 20, said by phone from her childhood bedroom in Calgary. "It was a completely different era. I'm not trying to say, 'We need to reference the 2000s.' It's just, 'We need to get the dance back.'"
As a teenager, the Canadian musician danced competitively, even making it to the top 10 on So You Think You Can Dance , but she was hesitant to incorporate that passion into her music.
"I felt like I had two different parts of my brain that didn't fit together. Writing was my outlet, and dance was like a different person to me," McRae said. He rose to fame with two 2021 indie-pop EPs, which featured "Tear Myself Apart," co-written with Billie Eilish -- and his breakthrough hit was "You Broke Me First." She released her debut album "I Used to Think I Can Fly" in 2022.
On her second album , Think Later (out now), McRae ties the two characters together, combining hypnotic pop-bop with more vulnerable ballads that are Tailor-made for broadcast and orchestration.
While she doesn't call it a "breakup album," "Think Later" charts the tumultuous ebb and flow of a relationship that she fought tooth and nail to maintain.
"Even when I'm on tour or doing crazy stuff, I'm very focused on this person that I'm so deeply in love with," she said. "[The album captures] the thought that was going through my head, 'Fuck it. Let's just do this and let me just get on that flight.'"
Her rise mirrors that of Gen Z sensations Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo. (She played one of the latter's close friends in the "Bad Idea, Right?" music video.) "She's an absolute angel, adore her," McRae said of Rodrigo. "We all had a great time on set. It was like friends hanging out and shooting a little video."
Next year, McRae aims to emulate the power of some pop stars on an extensive world tour that includes her first headlining show at Madison Square Garden. As for her next album: "I just started thinking about it last night and I was like, 'I don't know.'"
Learn more about McRae in the Bustle Booth questionnaire below.
in a noisy stall
What was your coffee order?
Iced vanilla latte with almond milk.
What cities have weather locations saved on your phone?
They can be weird. Saskatoon, Invermere, Regina, across Canada, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Kelowna and Calgary.
What's your zodiac sign?
cancer.
What's your favorite overused movie line?
One from "Mean Girls" : "You're really pretty."
What was your favorite cartoon as a child?
Spongebob and the rather strange parents .
What’s a movie or TV show that you’re currently obsessed with?
I just finished Suits and I'm hooked.
Who is your celebrity idol?
1,000,000% Zendaya. She is the most elegant, cool, and talented girl around.
If you had to be on a reality show, which one would you choose?
I want to be on a cooking show, like MasterChef or something. I can't cook, so I want to learn.
What are your favorite karaoke songs?
"Mr. Brightside" [The Killers]. But if someone asked me to go to karaoke, I would never sing.
What has inspired you recently?
I've been reading this book called Big Magic . Whenever I'm afraid of writing or putting too much pressure on myself, I read a few chapters. It always opens up my creative senses again.
How would you like people to describe you?
I am a very hardworking person. You may not be the best in the room, but you can always be the hardest working person.
