by John Downey '23 on April 8, 2022
A&E Co-Editor
Arts & Entertainment
Riley Coyne ’24
Even from a young age, it was evident that the talented Tate McRae was born to be a star. The “you broke me first” singer did not always plan to pursue fame through singing, though. For much of her youth, McRae was a dancer, taking classes in styles from hip-hop and ballet to jazz and contemporary, realizing that she had a real passion for dance.
As McRae’s passion grew, she began training more seriously, devoting her life to dance. Notably, at age 11, she was invited to compete in Berlin and placed in the competition. She soon went on to be a contestant on So You Think You Can Dance, and her performances blew the judges away week after week. On one occasion, after seeing McRae’s flawless back walkover, judge Paula Abdul exclaimed to her, “You are a gift from God.”
After her stint on So You Think You Can Dance, McRae worked as a backup dancer for her fellow Canadian star Justin Bieber and assumed that the rest of her professional career would consist of such roles. Little did she know what life had in store for her.
McRae had amassed large followings on Instagram and TikTok, but got her “big break” on YouTube, following in a long line of popular artists discovered on the platform such as Bieber, Charlie Puth, and Alessia Cara.
One day, when McRae was alone at home, she decided to create a YouTube account to showcase her dancing skills, only to find that the footage she planned to share had become deleted. This mishap turned out to be a blessing in disguise because it led her to post a song she wrote instead, and this video acquired over 30 million views. Soon enough, record labels began reaching out to her, and the rest is history.
McRae’s 2022 North American Tour kicked off in Vancouver, Canada on March 8. As part of the tour, she has been and will be performing in major cities across the U.S. such as Boston, New York City, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, as well as major cities abroad.
In additionally exciting news for her fans, McRae released a new single titled “Chaotic” in late March. Between the success of her tour and the critical acclaim that the song is receiving thus far, it is certain that the talented Tate McRae is an artist to watch.