Tate McRae’s So Close to What secured the rising artist the title of pop star of the year right off the bat. Reaching No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for the first time, McRae has proved she isn’t just a trend from “Greedy” and “Exes.” The singer’s third album silenced doubts about her talent with new hits like “Revolving Door” and “Sports Car” that quickly climbed up the charts after release.
These past two years, McRae’s popularity increased exponentially after decades in the music universe. In 2024, the release of Think Later (album of the singles “Greedy” and “Exes”) put McRae under the spotlight and tagged her as the potential pop star of this generation. Mixing catchy lyrics and unique choreography, McRae went viral for her songs and performances. Her singles were played everywhere (radio, stores, malls, restaurants, gyms), and her iconic dance breaks were seen all over TikTok and Instagram Reels.
Now, she has done it again. Silencing skeptical comments about her success, McRae broke many personal records with her new album So Close to What, released Feb 21. It became her album with the highest sales and best streaming week. Also, in her album release performances, the singer made clear she won’t shy away from exhibiting her dance skills and becoming the biggest pop phenomenon of this year.
McRae’s recent boom is a consequence of her versatility. Once she decided to embrace her background, looks and influential skills, her success became evident. Here’s a list of three traits that set Tate McRae up for a career climb in music.
- She’s a multi-talented artist
As if being a singer and songwriter wasn’t enough, McRae is also a professional dancer.
At an early age, she was already known in the dance world for her natural talent, precise skills and performance confidence. In 2016, McRae gained notoriety for becoming the first Canadian finalist in So You Think You Can Dance. She was also awarded Mini Best Female Dancer at the 2013 Dance Awards in NYC and became a finalist at the New York City Dance Alliance’s 2014 Gala.
Now, McRae uses her background in dance to differentiate her performances from other artists. With challenging dance breaks, she adds expression to her shows and hypnotizes her public. Her jaw-dropping dancing skills set her performances apart from anybody else’s. McRae was truly born to be on stage.
- Tate understands balance
Tate McRae’s recent popularity screams a pop-girl vibe. Her outfits, beats, performances and looks… she screams pop.
However, she’s the master of balance. Even with this heavily pop aesthetic, McRae makes sure to balance it out with some calmer and deeper songs. For example, she makes sure to mix songs like “Greedy,” “It’s OK I’m OK,” “Exes” and “2 Hands,” with acoustic performances of more romantic or heartbroken songs like “You Broke Me First” and “Run for the Hills.”
This equilibrium of energized and highly choreographed performances with calmer songs keeps the public wondering what might come next. These ups and downs play with the viewers’ expectations and make them always want more. That’s one of the main reasons why McRae has such a loyal fanbase: once you become a Tate fan, you never go back.
- She’s a Gen Z Icon
Tate McRae knows how to use social media to tease her fans, and she does it all the time.
Before the release of So Close to What, McRae fed her social media accounts (both TikTok and Instagram) with easter eggs of her future singles. These came in different formats: captions that were lines to a new song, videos singing unreleased choruses and short dance videos etc. No matter the post style or the platform used, this type of content made viewers’ curious about future releases and raised their expectations for new music.
As a young artist, McRae understands the power of social media and constantly uses it in her favor. McRae’s strategic use of online platforms has for sure played a key role in her recent increase in popularity and professional success as a singer and performer.
Final Note
McRae has recently gained wide attention in the music industry due to her multifaceted skills, understanding of balance and publicity techniques. The swift success of So Close to What shows McRae has the potential to become a memorable pop singer/performer. She is a complete artist that has recently achieved high notoriety and still has much more to show. You should keep an eye out for Tate!