Tate McRae has always been destined to become a star.
When she was a teenager, she wowed crowds with her dance moves, making difficult choreography look effortless.
But dancing isn’t the only thing McRae is good at; she’s also got a killer voice.
While she initially thought dancing would become her career, the universe had other plans.
McRae hails from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and her mom is a dance instructor.
“I started off as one of the worst dancers ever.
But I put my head down and improved,” she toldDIY.
It seems this has been her approach to everything she’s tackled since.
It’s likely her album cover is an homage to her brother and his achievements.
He’s made plenty of headlines on the hockey rink.
McRae’s music video for her hit “Greedy” also features a hockey rink.
McRae credits her voice acting skills to her experience in music.
Luckily, McRae has always loved a challenge.
This was a very special achievement for McRae, who before that night had never attended a live show.
“That was just so exciting.
Performing onstage with Justin Bieber wasn’t the first time McRae brushed shoulders with artists in the music industry.
Despite her natural talent, she had to work hard to earn her spot on the show.
I felt like my hard work had really paid off,” she told CBC.
McRae wowed the judges and became the first Canadian to make it to the U.S. show’s finale.
One of the judges, Paula Abdul, couldn’t praise McRae’s performance enough.
“I wish there was a word to describe how much you touched me.
You are a gift from God,” she said after one of McRae’s routines.
For McRae, competing on the show was surreal.
The entertainment industry is incredibly competitive, which can make friendships challenging.
While it took a while, McRae finally found a true friend in fellow musicianOlivia Rodrigo.
“She’s an absolute angel,” McRae toldBustle.
“I adore her.
I think she’s so talented and so beautiful,” McRae said.
It was just like friends hanging out, shooting a little video."
“I think that is the death of art.
She explained that 15 seconds isn’t nearly enough to get a meaningful message across.
McRae toldNumerothat she draws inspiration for songs from her own life and experiences.
“I always say that I’m really bad at explaining myself and explaining my emotions.
And that’s also how I solve situations in my head,” she explained.
When she was 14, McRae shared her first original song on the channel titled “One Day.”
McRae told Numero that, before she created the channel, she had dreamed about becoming a singer.
Meet Tatiana, who McRae described toBillboardas “ballsy, so loud and obnoxious.”
McRae credits her hit song, “Greedy,” to her alter ego.
“I was like, ‘I don’t really give a f***.
Tatiana continued to make appearances throughout the making of McRae’s sophomore album, “Think Later.”
McRae toldPeoplethat, when it comes to performing onstage, Tatiana usually takes over completely.
“I’m a pretty reserved Canadian who’s pretty shy in big groups.
And my mom’s like, ‘Whoa, where did this come from?’
Just a totally different side of me.
[Tatiana is] feistier and doesn’t really give a s***.”
Music was once again the tool that helped her to figure it out.
“I was having a full identity crisis.
“I’m kind of a loner,” she told Numero.
“Even with my friends and stuff, I keep to myself a lot.”
“I feel like they’re my friends.
McRae also received two nominations for the Billboard Music Awards.
Of course, along with the disbelief, McRae has experienced giddy excitement.
“It’s such an honor to be amongst all those artists and recognized like that.
I feel very blessed,” she said.
With all the accolades comes more pressure too.
Maybe that was just a lucky accident,'” she told"Today.
“But it wasn’t an accident; it was really happening.
McRae has been open about how she sometimes feels like she doesn’t belong in the music industry.
“I have this vision that I’m not supposed to be there.
It’s very hard for me to grasp,” she confessed during aGrammyinterview.
The reality of her fame hit McRae when she started doing shows after the pandemic.
She toldPeoplethat her band laughs at her when she goes a little berserk with excitement before a show.
“It feels like a dream,” she said.
While working on her first album, McRae had a hard time finding her voice at first.
This wasn’t what she wanted her goal was to collaborate more and have her voice heard.
She was still new to the process of making an album and didn’t want to upset anyone.
But as we now know, that is no longer how she rolls.
She wanted management that represented her values, and that’s exactly what they do.
“Guys, this has been a struggle,” she admitted.
“To catch your breath after moving and jumping around the stage is so hard.
I feel like it’s been a work in progress,” she said.
One would never be able to tell.
