I Finally Get Tate McRae

Introduction

Over the past couple of years, I've been unable to avoid the Tate McRae craze, and, to be honest, I didn't get her.

I first discovered her music through the song "You" with Regard, Troye Sivan, and Tate McRae.

I've loved Troye Sivan since 2015, so basically anything he releases I'm going to be a fan of, but Tate McRae took some convincing.

In the "You" music video, I thought that McRae gave a great performance.

She looked incredible, sounded good, and had great lyricism.

But despite this, I always felt like she was missing something, and that starts with why I love pop music.

Why I Love Pop Music

Since first hearing "Baby" on the radio in the second grade, pop music has always had a special place in my heart.

I love the theatricality, creative direction, and how grand of a vehicle of self-expression it is.

But above everything, I love how it's a reflection of macro-cultural feelings at a specific time.

Underneath the makeup, lighting, dancing, production, and marketing, pop music is a reflection of what humanity is feeling and what we need or want to hear.

By looking at the consumption of pop music, you can tell what, macro-culturally, people are feeling.

For example, Lady Gaga's debut in 2008 captured people's desire to be entertained and feel like there was more to life than work and stressing over money.

Lady Gaga's avant-garde fashion and club-inspired music helped people feel like they didn't need a lot to be happy.

All we needed was the bravery to pair our clothes in a new way and the courage to dance at a party like no one's watching.

But what about Tate McRae?

Tate McRae on the Surface

Despite the nuance of her messaging, if you were to ask the average pedestrian to name three things they associate with Tate McRae, they'd probably give you one of two responses: 1) Isn't she the next Britney Spears? and 2) Wasn't she on Dance Moms?

Firstly, the Tate McRae to Britney Spears comparison makes a lot of sense, given their fashion sense, vocal style, and dance floor capability.

Like Britney Spears, Tate McRae is often wearing a low-rise pant with a cropped or bikini top that's meant to evoke confidence and sexiness.

McRae's accessories usually pull from the 2000s, with her hats, jewelry, and purses mirroring the Britney Spears aesthetic as well.

Secondly, Tate McRae was on Dance Moms briefly, which makes sense.

McRae is the kind of dancer that's so good her skill feels instinctive.

You can't teach someone how to dance like her as an adult.

Her skill is the result of thousands of hours of practice that started as a kid in the competitive dance scene, which led her to being featured on Dance Moms.

So while there's a lot of truth to these surface-level observations, I hope I can encourage you to dig a bit deeper.

Tate McRae Below the Surface

To best understand McRae's message, I believe it’d be best to look at her song and music video "Revolving Door."

The song "Revolving Door" is about the struggle of not being able to stop chasing someone who doesn't want you back.

It's seductive, high-energy, but most of all, hopeless.

In the music video, McRae is dancing harder than any of her dancers, trying to look and move perfectly.

At first, she's able to stay in the groove and nail every pose, but as the song goes on, we start to see her become exhausted by this high standard.

Out of desperation, she begins to move frantically with high-energy moves that scream, "This is all I have left. Please notice me."

When I first watched this music video, I thought that this was a sign of a lack of control, but I've now realized that it's an intentional choice that amplifies the meaning of the song and clarifies the core of her artistic message.

The "Revolving Door" music video ends with this heartbreaking scene of her crying in exhaustion and then wiping away her tears and saying, "again," before the song starts playing again—implying that she's going to keep exhausting herself until her love interest wants her back.

At her core, Tate McRae's music is about not feeling good enough despite your best efforts.

She fights to be sexy, beautiful, and worth noticing, but in doing so, she ends up destroying herself.

The central message of Tate McRae is to accept yourself for who you are and not kill yourself trying to be something you're not.

Conclusion

While it's normal to want to be your best self to get someone to like you, you shouldn't do so at the expense of your sanity, individuality, and peace.

Tate McRae is pushing for self-acceptance by displaying the consequences of not doing so, which makes her more than "just the next Britney Spears."

I believe that she is carving out a much-needed voice in Hollywood that represents people's exhaustion from trying to keep up with seemingly unattainable standards of beauty, wealth, and love.

So, the next time you want to compare McRae to Britney Spears or write her off as just another "hot pop girl," I hope you'll remember the importance of what she stands for.

Tate McRae is encouraging young people to accept themselves for who they are and stop trying to be something they're not.

In an increasingly globalized professional and personal social economy, it can be easy to feel not good enough and want to be better, but McRae is telling us that we are good enough.

And I think we need to hear that.

Thanks for reading!

-JM

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