Tate McRae has been in the spotlight for years, but now, she’s fully stepping into her own as a rising pop star. The 20 year old singer, songwriter, and dancer has been building her career since she was a kid.
Back in 2016, at just 12 years old, McRae placed third on So You Think You Can Dance and even performed with Justin Bieber. Fast forward to now, and she’s taking the stage as a full-fledged artist, recently making her Saturday Night Live debut. It was a huge moment for her, and yeah, she felt the pressure. “My parents came, and we were all freaking out,” she said. “I was just like, ‘I don’t want to let anyone down.’”
Her SNL performance was a perfect showcase of what makes her special effortless, high-energy dancing during her hit “Greedy” and raw, emotional songwriting on “Grave.” She’s got the kind of stage presence that puts her in the same league as icons like Britney Spears and Janet Jackson.
With artists like Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo paving the way for young women in pop, McRae is right behind them, ready to make her mark. Her new album, Think Later, drops Dec. 8, and fans—who have been following her since she was writing songs in her bedroom at 13—are more than ready. “I don’t think I realized then how much I was in the public eye,” she said. “Your perspectives and tastes change so much. I’m realizing the repercussions of people looking at you through a microscope.”
One thing’s for sure,Tate McRae isn’t just next up, she’s here.