Interview with Tate McRae, the ultra-sexy pop star performing in Paris

By Erwann Chevalier, 

and Alexandre Chevarin.

TikTok is helping more and more artists build their careers. Just 20 seconds of a track can change the fate of a young artist, as evidenced by the success stories of Olivia Rodrigo, Lil Nas X, and Gayle, who were propelled into the spotlight in recent years thanks to the app. And Canadian singer Tate McRae is no exception.

Often compared to Britney Spears, Tate McRae is the new pop star to watch closely. Associated with the Tube Girl trend, which means filming oneself dancing confidently in the subway, her track Greedy (2023) became one of the most listened-to songs in 2023, topping the Billboard Global 200 ahead of Dua Lipa’s Houdini.

Tate McRae, the trendy pop star who blew up on TikTok

With 185 million views on YouTube and over 1 billion streams on Spotify, Greedy has propelled the singer into the ranks of the new hopes for pop music. The youngest artist to enter the Forbes 30 under 30 list in 2020 now boasts more than 50 million monthly listeners on the platform, surpassing Beyoncé’s 46 million listeners.

Is Tate McRae about to join the exclusive circle of must-see pop icons? That’s what her track Exes about her former boyfriends, released in November 2023, seems to suggest. The music video for this very sexy song has now racked up over 53 million views on YouTube.

And everyone wants to sing along the lyrics: “Kisses to my exes who don’t give a shit about me / Kisses, kisses to the next ones who think they can live without me / We make up, then we break up, then they swear they’ll never call me / But I still keep their number and their necklace, kisses to my exes.”

Think Later, Tate McRae’s successful album

Tate McRae closed out 2023 with a record entitled Think Later, released on December 8th. On a brief promotional day in Paris, the singer opened up to Numéro about the making of this new record. “This album is inspired by the quote ‘dance now, think later.’ I feel like every single decision I made this year was made with my heart. That quote allowed me to start writing this new album. I thought it should be the title of my album,” she said.

Alongside its two flagship hits, Greedy and Exes, Tate McRae also composed twelve other highly pop tracks — with Ryan Tedder, producer of Taylor Swift and Beyoncé — including the excellent Run for the Hills, her favorite track on the album. “I really wanted this album to sound much more pop. It’s made up of songs I could truly dance to on tour. I just wanted to challenge myself.”

Created in eleven months only, Think Later is an album that speaks candidly about many topics dear to Gen Z, including love, relationships and self-acceptance. “I feel like I’m exploring a lot of different scenarios with this album. There are, of course, fun dance songs, others about being a young woman evolving in the music industry, and others that talk about personal situations I’ve been through. It covers many aspects of my life,” she shared.

The influence of Nelly Furtado and Beyoncé

This album evokes the style of many singers from the 2000s. Indeed, Tate McRae cites Nelly Furtado and Timbaland as musical influences, adding, “I really admire Britney Spears. I’m inspired by Beyoncé as an artist and by Taylor Swift as a songwriter.” Blending melancholy and euphoria, this second opus stands out as an album about reconnecting with oneself.

At just 21, Tate McRae seems to have found herself both musically and personally. “We change so much between the ages of 16 and 20. And what’s crazy is that you can really see it in my work. In terms of my writing skills, I was lost at the time. I also had confidence issues and felt a bit adrift in my relationships and in life, which sometimes makes for beautiful work! I think that feeling of confusion is the reason we start writing. It becomes a kind of therapy. Now, I feel much more confident.”

Tate McRae danced for Justin Bieber back in the days

Tate McRae was destined for stardom. Before excelling as a singer, the Canadian artist from Calgary thrived as a dancer. In 2016, while she was still a teenager, she participated in So You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation and ended third in the competition. But her first major milestone was performing alongside Justin Bieber during his Purpose World Tour.

“Everyone tells me: ‘Oh my God! You were Justin Bieber’s lead dancer!’ And I reply: ‘I was 12! There was no way I was part of the dance troupe.’ … He would select four kids after auditioning them for his Purpose tour. It wasn’t that big a deal because there were many young dancers doing that,” the artist explained in 2022 in an interview with BBC Radio. Tate McRae would later collaborate with American singer Demi Lovato and the American rock band Nothing More as a dancer…

Collaborations with Billie Eilish, Troye Sivan, and Olivia Rodrigo

In 2011, singer Tate McRae created her YouTube channel, where she posted both covers and original songs. The young singer, with 5 million followers on Instagram, built a community on that platform that helped her connect with the most influential stars of her generation. Ten years later, with hundreds of videos posted and over a billion views, she collaborated with singer Billie Eilish and co-wrote the track Tear Myself Apart (2020) alongside Billie Eilish’s brother, Finneas O’Connell.

Tate McRae told Cosmopolitan about the experience: “I was nervous because he’s got so much knowledge and is such an incredible producer and can play any instrument. Obviously, I’ve been a huge fan of Billie’s forever, so I was a little starstruck walking into the room. I can’t believe Finneas wanted to write with me.” Since then, the friend of the stars has released a track titled You (2021) featuring Troye Sivan and DJ Kosovar Regard.

Like Jennifer Lopez, who used to be a background dancer in a Janet Jackson music video, or Doja Cat, who appeared in a Becky G video, Tate McRae also appeared in several music videos, such as in Olivia Rodrigo’s bad idea right? (2023), alongside Iris Apatow and Madison Hu. We can only hope she meets the same fate as Doja Cat and Olivia Rodrigo… But it seems she’s already on the right track.

Sports car, Tate McRae’s new feverish track

On January 24th, 2025, Tate McRae turned up the heat with her single Sports car. After It’s ok I’m ok and 2 hands, the pop phenomenon returns with a new song to announce the release of her third album, So Close To What, scheduled for February 21st. The song refers to the adrenaline felt in a romantic relationship, which the artist compares to a race car: “I can’t take no more / I’m going weak in my knees / Where’d you put those keys? / We can share one seat.”

Yet, it is first and foremost the feverish music video that strikes the attention. Last September 2024, Tate McRae was already making waves with the video for It’s ok I’m ok, directed by Hannah Lux Davis, who is also behind Ariana Grande’s iconic Thank U Next. The video paid tribute to early 2000s pop stars, especially the Pussycat Dolls, with wild dance moves in front of scaffoldings.

The star of the biopic about Britney Spears?

The music video is also filled with nods to pop star Britney Spears and her I Wanna Go (2011) music video, in which the star is arrested by a police officer. A deliberate tribute, since Tate McRae wore a lace dress at the 2024 VMAs that closely resembled the one Britney sported in her Toxic era 23 years earlier.

In fact, many people including our editorial team are suggesting that Tate McRae will embody the superstar in a biopic based on her memoir, The Woman in Me. Directed by Jon M. Chu (Wicked, Crazy Rich Asians), this adaptation could mark a turning point in the singer’s career.

In recent years, many major music stars have successfully crossed over to film, like Selena Gomez, Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande. Could Tate McRae, the new face of Skims, be next?

So Close to What by Tate McRae, available now. Live concert at the Accor Arena in Paris on May 27th, 2025.