Dancer, singer, songwriter and the pride and joy of the young generation. Born and raised in Calgary, Canada, Tate McRae came into the scene like a whirlwind of sweetness, pure authenticity and a way of honest storytelling I have never heard before. She is not afraid to open the lock to her diary, filled with lyrics a lot of us have found truth in. Tate has created a safe space where everyone can be vulnerable and can connect through her music. It doesn’t matter if you’re screaming her lyrics on your bedroom floor, by yourself in the car or shoulder to shoulder at one of her shows; it’s the kind of therapy that heals broken hearts and wounded souls.
As stupid as circumstances and life can be sometimes, we can get through the darkest hour without tearing ourselves apart over vicious exes and fake friends. What would you do if I told you that Tate McRae writes music that can pick you up in a heartbeat?
Throughout the pandemic, a lot of us found comfort in music, we discovered new artists on TikTok and for me, one of them was Tate. The day I heard you broke me first, I immediately related to the lyrics and the artist behind the art. Not only does it take courage to put vulnerability and real emotions into words – processing personal experiences – but to put it out there for the whole world to hear is extremely brave. While that helped her heal personally, it made millions of people out there feel less alone and understood. And that truly is a gift from God, as Paula Abdul would say.
As someone who has used writing to get through her own mental struggles and challenging times growing up, I understand how healing that can be; if you’re not comfortable sharing it out loud. It has become the easiest way of communication for me. Tate has shared her inner thoughts through her authentic art and it has been extremely therapeutic for not only me, but millions of people listening to her songs. Being so young and having the ability to save those who have felt lonely and misunderstood for most of their lives, is an absolute blessing. And the way she acts online is exactly how she will come across in person. Tate is the sweetest and most genuine human being you will ever meet, her presence fills your heart with so much love and light and her beautiful smile is overly infectious.
I had the absolute pleasure of seeing the talented bundle of joy perform live and it was an experience I will cherish for the rest of my life. Meeting Tate, talking to her and just being in her presence, filled me up with the light I was missing for a long time. And well, we all screamed these lyrics out of our souls and it went from feeling like shit to seeing happy faces all across the room. There’s no one I would recommend as highly to go see live one day as her, and that’s the tea.
With her debut album i used to think i could fly coming up, she is most certainly gonna show a new level of honest lyrical expression and will be able to attract more and more listeners who needed exactly that to find understanding in their own mental space. We often get lost in our own minds, we overthink and often forget that there are others having the same issues. Not only has Tate achieved massive success careerwise at such a young age, but her impact on the young generation goes beyond words.
Personally, I have found a lot of comfort listening to her music and a great way to get my emotions out by screaming her lyrics in my car or to her face at a concert. And I know I can speak for everyone feeling the exact same way, when I say that she is shaping the future of the music industry as well as every precious heart who needed that kind of music, to find the road to happiness again. Having the kind of power to make someone feel that way, just shows that honest storytelling is working in her favor and represents the beautiful impact music can make.
Having music as an escape from reality, lyrics you find yourself in and an artist who makes you feel loved without even knowing your name, reaches a level of gratitude you can’t really put into words. But Tate wrote out one word for me, that will forever be an inked reminder of the connection we have made and her chaotic therapy, that will always be the fuel to recharge my batteries whenever they run low.
ROARA Magazine 