The lights begin to dim, the audience erupts in roars of anticipation and the background music playing on the speakers of the arena slowly begins to transform into a combination of electronic melodies and heavy bass. Projected on the screen display behind the stage, replacing the bold, big letters spelling “TATE” that had been exhibited while attendees filled the stands, is a video with elements of monitors glitching and the introduction melodies of a song the entire audience knew by heart. As the visual sequence continues and flashes the red words “Miss Possessive,” smoke begins to fill the stage with pyro elements sparkling, illuminating backup dancers and the proclaimed “pop-princess” herself, Tate McRae.
After the release of her single, “you broke me first” in the midst of the pandemic, McRae rapidly leapt into stardom, entrancing listeners with her raw vocals, relatable lyricism and enticing performance skills. Despite her breakthrough in 2020, McRae had already been in the entertainment industry for quite some time. She was the first Canadian finalist of the hit American reality show, “So You Think You Can Dance” in 2016 and released her first debut track, “One Day” on her YouTube channel in 2017. Since then, McRae’s career and music have continued to rise, which has led her to earn the title of “pop-princess” by her fanbase, nicknamed as the Tater Tots, and deemed the “modern-day Britney Spears.”
Following her debut song, the artist has built up quite a discography. During the early years of her singing career, McRae released two EP’s, “all the things i never said” in 2020 and “TOO YOUNG TO BE SAD” in 2021, as well as one LP, “The One Day LP” in 2021. As her musical journey began to progress, McRae announced her first studio album, “i used to think i could fly” in 2022, which featured the hit tracks, “she’s all i wanna be” and “what would you do?” After the release of that record, McRae dropped her second studio album, “THINK LATER,” the following year. This 2023 release definitely led to the cementation of her pop status. The record, which featured the popular songs “run for the hills,” “greedy” and “exes” gained much traction and secured the number four spot on the Billboard 200, the first album of McRae’s to do so.
With her fanbase growing rapidly, McRae’s supporters excitedly and anxiously awaited new music from the artist. Many were ecstatic when McRae announced via her Instagram that a new single, “It’s ok, I’m ok,” was planned to be released on Sept. 12, 2024. The track, later labeled as the lead single off her upcoming album at the time, became quite the hit, especially with the iconic music video released alongside it. Following the drop of two other singles, “Revolving door” and “Sports car,” McRae took to social media on Nov. 14, 2024, to announce that her third album, “So Close to What,” would be released on Feb. 21, 2025.
Before the album was dropped, a variety of occurrences came to be for both McRae and fans, including a controversy (in which a portion of the album was leaked online a month prior to its official release) and, more excitingly, a tour announcement. Once the album, “So Close to What” was released, with 15 tracks that consisted of a variety of dance and alternative pop sounds and elements, mixed with more mature and vulnerable lyricism, it was clear the record would be a success. Debuting number one on Billboard 200 and topping numerous charts, fans could seemingly not get enough of the album and began to excitedly await the Miss Possessive Tour.
Focusing on the concert series, McRae had headlined three tours prior to the announcement of her performances in adjacent to “So Close to What,” the Miss Possessive Tour. All three previous tours were performed in more intimate venues, such as smaller clubs and theaters. The Miss Possessive Tour would be McRae’s first time performing in arenas in North America, South America and Europe. Furthermore, The Miss Possessive Tour had a total of 83 performances, spanning from March 18, 2025 to its recent closing on Nov. 8, 2025.
With the tour’s debut on March 18, 2025, McRae performed in Mexico City, Mexico at the Pepsi Center WTC. Though fans did not know what to expect in regards to the new tour, it seemed that not one attendee was left disappointed and all who were planning to attend future performances had surges of excitement and anticipation. With the elaborate and intricate production of the stage, such as pyrotechnic elements and sparklers, edgy, yet beautiful costume designs for McRae and a setlist that was tailored just right for the performances with a mixture of both fun and emotional tracks, it was clear that the Miss Possessive Tour was to be seen as the perfect night for fans.
I personally attended McRae’s Miss Possessive Tour after receiving two tickets for my 19th birthday, which was truly such a special moment for me. As the night of the concert I would be attending drew nearer, I became full of emotions, for I had never had the opportunity to see McRae perform live. Though I have been a fan of McRae for quite some time, my adoration of both the artist and music became especially cemented with her release of her record, “i used to think i could fly.” The blend of her emotional and expressive vocals, introspective lyricism and fusions of various production melodies and elements have always stood out to me in such a way that I just adore.
Weeks leading up to the special occasion, I came to the realization that I needed to perfect the outfit combination that I would be wearing for the concert. Anyone who either attended a Miss Possessive Tour performance or viewed the shows via social media, such as TikTok, would’ve noticed the clear dress code that was “enforced” for the concert. Sequined cheetah print shorts and knee-high leather boots paired with a McRae T-shirt that could be bought at the merchandise stands seemed to be the common ensemble of the tour. I decided to even partake in the trend myself, pairing a long-sleeve white graphic top with a beaded neckline, a mini black leather skirt, a silver chained belt and knee-high black leather boots with buckles together. I must not also forget the cheetah print headband that I included to tie the whole look together as well!
My car ride to the concert mostly consisted of belting McRae songs, as well as beaming with excitement. It seemed that all other attendees were feeling similar emotions as myself, for as soon as I made my way to the venue, there were lines of fans impatiently waiting to enter, as well as to buy mementos at the merch stand. As the doors opened, attendees quickly made their way into the arena, finding their seats and beginning to take tons of photographs in front of the “TATE” projection on the screen, which I did personally as well with my little digital camera.
Attending the concert at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Alessi Rose was the opener before the main act of McRae. Though other attendees might have had the opportunity to view BENEE, who supported the European and U.K. legs, or Zara Larsson who opened the beginning North American shows, Rose commenced the second half of North American performances of the Miss Possessive Tour. Regarding her opening act, Rose performed a variety of songs from her EPS, “rumination as ritual” and “for your validation,” as well as from her albums, “Voyeur” and “Voyeur (Deluxe).” After not being personally that familiar with Rose’s music career prior to seeing her opening act of McRae’s tour, following her performance, I have found a strong liking with a plethora of her songs, including “CRUSH!” and “First Original Thought.” Quite frankly, since the concert, I have been jamming out to those songs of Rose’s, as well as plenty more during car drives.
Following Rose’s opening act, fans began to anxiously await McRae’s arrival on stage. During that time, attendees of the St. Louis show began to partake in brief antics, such as doing “the wave” across the arena, as well as lighting up phone flashlights and waving them in the air. Fans who obtained seats on the floor of the venue, specifically in the back, were also pleasantly greeted by Rose, who took time to take photographs with fans and say hello.
As 9 p.m. drew closer, everyone was positioned in their seats as the lights dimmed. Screams erupted, along with the instrumentals and melodies of “Miss possessive,” the opening track to the concert. Prior to each act of the concert, video elements were implemented, creating a higher form of production. As the first act video concluded, backup dancers began to swing on the industrial-themed stage setup, as pyrotechnics, sparklers and smoke began to fill the stage. Within what felt like a second, McRae had appeared on the stage, kicking off the start of the show.
McRae sported a black set for the first act, paired with black heels, perfectly suited for skilled dance choreography. Beginning her entertainment career in dancing, McRae is quite notable for her technical, dynamic and extremely expressive performances on stage, which leads her fashion to always be suited for flexible and talented movements. Within the first act, she performed three tracks that were featured in “So Close to What,” including “Miss possessive,” “No I’m not in love” and “2 hands.” Before the end of the act, the artist performed a song that many fans adore from “THINK LATER,” which was “guilty conscience.”
Moving on to the second act, McRae changed into a form of athletic joggers paired with a lacy, sequined bra to perform “Purple lace bra,” “Like I do,” “uh oh,” “Dear god” and “Siren sounds.” Throughout the entirety of the concert, one element that many fans were excited to see was the dance sequences between McRae and her backup dancers. Viewing the dances that occurred during the night, it was clear that all of the performers, including McRae, had quite a lot of chemistry, leading to seamless and effortlessly looking dances. Following the second act, McRae disappeared behind the stage for quite some time, leaving fans wondering where she must have gone off to.
As a surprise for attendees, during the beginning of the third act, McRae emerged from one of the tunnels that fans used to find their seats in the arena, and made her way to the B stage. Within the venue, the B stage was a smaller stand that could rise in the air, providing the opportunity for fans in the back of the arena to see McRae more clearly and offer a new performance perspective. During her time singing on the secondary stage, the artist was clothed in a black, flowy dress. With the utilization of the lighting and the intimacy the B stage brought to the arena, McRae looked absolutely ethereal as she sang a variety of more vulnerable and emotional tracks, including “Greenlight,” “Nostalgia,” “One Day,” “feel like s***” and “you broke me first”. As the third act came to an end, McRae descended from the B stage and walked through the crowd as she performed “run for the hills,” offering attendees on the floor the chance to take selfies and hold hands with the artist.
The fourth act began with the performance of “exes,” my personal favorite, after McRae changed once again into a more sporty and dance-friendly ensemble of a blue set. Following the catchy, dance-pop track, the artist sang “bloodonmyhands,” “Revolving door,” “It’s ok, I’m ok” and her newly released single, “TIT FOR TAT.” Despite the entirety of the concert being quite full of production-heavy elements and strong choreography, this act definitely brought all fans together to belt and dance within the stands. Especially regarding “It’s ok, I’m ok.” Many attendees were more than excited to view firsthand the iconic dance sequence that has been widely discussed online during the chorus. As the production began to slowly fade out, McRae, as well as her dancers, fled the stage after the fourth act, tricking fans into believing that the concert had come to its conclusion.
Before too long, though, McRae arrived back on stage to perform the final three tracks of her concert, “Just Keep Watching,” “Sports car” and “greedy.” After attending concerts in the past, I truly feel that I have never seen such a crowd of fans erupt in excitement as I did when the instrumentals of “Sports car” filled the arena.
Watching the entirety, though especially the final act of the Miss Possessive Tour, it is quite clear as to how McRae earned the title of “pop-princess.” Through her glitzy and captivating personality, which she demonstrated throughout the concert by speaking to the audience as if we were all friends, enthralling dance movements and beguiling raw vocals, McRae has truly cemented her name within the pop industry. As McRae and her fellow backup dancers took their final bow and the confetti fell onto fans’ heads, all trying to catch one as a memento, it was clear that all attendees, including myself, would cherish their night spent attending the Miss Possessive Tour.