Tate McRae took Orlando by storm at her two sold-out shows of the Miss Possessive Tour at the Kia Center from Sept. 13-14 with mesmerizing visuals, beautiful outfits, and high-energy performances. What really shocked fans, however, was the change in setlist between the two shows.
Through the major success of Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour, the concert industry has taken a massive turn in structure. Part of the reason behind the craze of The Eras Tour was due to an acoustic “Surprise Song” set where Swift chose a different set of songs to play every night, creating a completely different show for everyone who saw it. Many artists have since taken inspiration from this and have incorporated surprise or acoustic sets into their shows, often showcasing older songs that normally wouldn’t be played on tour.
McRae took a spin on this concept by playing her older songs on an electric piano on a B-Stage in the middle of the crowd. McRae pays homage to how she started, on YouTube, by playing a shortened version of three of her songs that started her career. She started her career as a competitive dancer who posted original songs on her YouTube channel, “Create With Tate,” every Friday. Some of these songs ended up becoming her first official songs as a recording artist, but all of them helped McRae get discovered by the mainstream media and recording studios, including RCA Records, with whom she signed in 2019 and continues to work with today.
“I wanted to see if there were any OG’s here. Anybody?”
Tate McRae speaking to the crowd during Orlando Night Two
On a normal night, McRae plays “that way,” “rubberband,” and “feel like shit,” and it isn’t much of a surprise, but on Sunday, she decided to change that. Instead of playing “rubberband,” McRae decided to play “stupid.” This subtle change turned a not-so-surprise song set into a shocking set for Orlando fans. This little change was temporary for the night, and she has not played “stupid” since, but it has fans wondering why, of all nights, she decided to play it for Orlando night two.
I went to the concert Sunday night and was absolutely stunned at the change as someone who studied the setlist intensely to prepare for the show. Not only was this a surprise to me, but it was the best surprise I could ask for. I have been a fan of McRae since her “Create With Tate” days, and I loved to watch her covers of Justin Bieber songs.
But, I especially loved “stupid” while I was in middle school. I was so shocked when she started playing it that I stumbled over my words while singing, even though I knew the song by heart. The lyrics and rhythm came back to me like muscle memory in the mere 30 seconds she played the song. I really appreciate how much she does for her fans who have been there for her since the very beginning, and how she embraces her beginnings. I am incredibly grateful I got to experience the magnetic presence of McRae and her dancers, and I would definitely attend another show in the future, with or without any surprises.
McRae puts on an amazing show every night with sparkling pyrotechnics, an incredible squad of dancers, and amazing fan interaction, but it’s little surprises like these that really capture the heart of fans and create an unforgettable night.