You can write about someone only so many times until you have nothing more to say. And while that might be true most of the time, there will never be enough words to talk about Tate McRae. When someone suddenly enters your life and literally changes it for the better, your gratitude and love for them only grows with time.
A lot of you might know Tate for being such an incredibly talented performer and while her looks and moves are what grab people’s attention, if you know her precious heart, genuine personality and bubbly side, you wanna hold her close forever. There is no one like her in this industry and there’s a reason for that.
The first time I met Tate in 2022, she had no idea who I was nor was I actively supporting her at that point. And yet, she welcomed me with open arms, so much love and kindness and I knew I wanted to become a part of her journey. Seeing her perform was just the cherry on top. She is without a doubt one of the sweetest and most humble rising stars I have ever met and she never fails to make me laugh, being so unserious most of the time. It felt like gaining a friend for life who is equally excited to see you whenever you meet again.
A lot of fans have watched Tate grow up on So You Think You Can Dance and her YouTube series Create With Tate later on and they – in a way – grew up with her. Her presence is like no other, her creativity never stopped sparking and her talent is beyond words or anyone’s imagination. There is a reason why she’s had such great success and keeps hitting more and more milestones every year. But no matter how big she’s gotten, Tate never stopped caring so deeply about her fans and giving back to them the best she can.
If you know her, you know that she’s always had the kindest heart, her presence lights up any room she enters and turns it into a space filled with happy hearts. Her music captures her thoughtful and nurturing soul so well and has allowed us to take a look into her fragile heart that’s definitely too big for this world. Tate will go out of her way to give more and more every time and to get better for not just herself, but everyone who came along for the ride. If you look behind the facade that the industry put on her, you will discover that she’s literally the funniest, most genuine and bubbliest human you will ever come across.
When her debut album came out, no one knew the great impact it was gonna have on every heart that needed music to hold onto, until it saved a lot of us from hitting rock bottom. Speaking from personal experience, I can definitely say that lettuce – as we like to call it – has been that one album I press play on when my mind goes dark and I need a little light to help me cope. I don’t think Tate will ever realize how much her music has healed fans around the world and that we could never thank her enough for sharing her most vulnerable chapters through such powerful lyrics. And nothing will ever compare to the fun we had during that first album release. If you know you know.
Having had that special experience with her debut album, the anticipation, anxiety and excitement around TM2 was real. Knowing Tate and the power her words hold musically, we were impatiently waiting to be heartbroken and healed from past trauma we have buried deep down at the same time. I needed that and it’s safe to say that lettuce saved me and THINK LATER healed me. Now I’m preparing to scream these lyrics from the top of my lungs at my therapist on tour.
I have talked about Tate so many times over the past two years in various articles, with friends and guests on my podcast, in every industry meeting I had and all over social media. There is not one person in my circle who doesn’t know that this girl has a special place in my heart and life and nothing will ever change that. I wish we could keep her in our bubble forever, but I also know that she is destined to be one of the greatest of her generation with long term success already secured. That doesn’t make it any easier though.
Not everyone will understand how important Tate is to the industry and its future, nor does she get enough recognition, praise and appreciation for a decade of hard work, dedication and success in many different areas of the industry. But at the end of the day, all that matters is that we know and we keep reminding the rest of the world of not just her talent and overall presence, but her pure heart and genuine personality. Whoever objectifies her and reduces her to “just” her looks and fails to recognize what’s behind the facade, needs to start questioning their motives and common sense.
As I’m preparing for tour and to reunite with one of my favorite people on the planet, I look back at the incredible memories we’ve made, the special moments we shared and the beautiful friendship I gained. In May 2022, I decided to put Tate on the ROARA cover and I chose to put her on once again to celebrate two years of more blessings than I can count. So much has happened and changed since then, but my gratitude and love for her and her music has only skyrocketed and will continue to grow as we keep walking on this path together.
ROARA Magazine 