From "So You Think You Can Dance" To SNL, Tate McRae Is Taking Over: Here's 15 Facts That Prove This Canadian-Born Musician Is Destined To Stardom

    Get in, loser. We're learning everything we can about the new Canadian pop princess.

    Ivana Peloza
    by Ivana Peloza

    BuzzFeed Staff

    After a knockout performance on the coveted SNL stage this past weekend, Tate McRae has proven once again that homegrown Canadian talent can compete on the world stage.

    Tate McRae sings on a small bleachers set piece while two dancers pose behind her.
    Nbc / Will Heath / NBC via Getty Images

    The 20-year-old singer-songwriter performed her high-energy TikTok viral hit, "greedy" before debuting the moody ballad, "grave." Tate also made sure to show-off her notorious skills as a dancer when she lead a dance squad on stage.

    Move over Avril, move over Nelly.... there's a new Canadian pop princess in town and she's just getting started! Here's everything you need to stay in the loop before Tate McRae becomes an internationally known household name!

    Tate McRae poses in front of the cast of SNL and next to Jason Momoa who points her out.
    Nbc / Will Heath / NBC via Getty Images

    Also, just kidding. Avril and Nelly please DON'T go anywhere. Shame on me for pitting women against women. There's space for ALL Canadian pop princesses to co-exist. To THRIVE, even. 

    1. Tate Rosner McRae was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta.

    Tate McRae poses on the red carpet of the Billboard Music Awards wearing a white tank top and black cargo pants.
    Gilbert Flores / Penske Media via Getty Images

    From the ages of four to seven, Tate lived with her family in Oman, a country located in West Asia. It was in Oman that she began her recreational dance training before her family's return to Calgary. 

    2. She started dancing recreationally when she was six years old. When she was eight, she began her competitive dance training at Drewitz Dance Productions in Calgary.

    Tate McRae holds her leg up in a dance pose and body suit.
    @tatemcrae / Via Facebook

    The DDP Competitive program accepts members by audition only and consists of weekly instruction of ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, musical theatre and hip hop. 

    3. She first gained recognition as a contestant on "So You Think You Can Dance" in 2016.

    A young Tate McRae wears a school girl outfit and converse sneakers, dancing alongside another young girl in a matching outfit.
    Fox / FOX Image Collection via Getty Images

    At just thirteen years old, she became the first ever Canadian finalist on the thirteenth season of the notorious competition dance show. 

    4. One of her biggest role models is Zendaya who, she says is "one of the most well-spoken and classy people out there."

    Zendaya at Paris Fashion Week wearing a white dress with gold buckles on the shoulders.
    Edward Berthelot / Getty Images

    According to Tate, watching Zendaya has helped her navigate her own place in the industry. In her own words, "I am young and I feel like a lot of people would look at me and judge what I have to say in the industry, thinking I would be oblivious, but what makes me feel the most empowered is when I speak up and am super confident in my opinions."

    5. In 2021, she was featured on Forbes' 30 Under 30, making her the youngest member of that year's "Music Class."

    Tate Mcrae poses in green lighting on the cover of Forbes Under 30.
    Forbes / Via Forbes 30 Under 30

    She was eighteen at the time and her breakout single, "you broke me first" had accumulated over 250 million streams worldwide.  

    6. Her major music breakthrough came from the release of the lead single, "you broke me first." The song dominated TikTok where it was featured in over ONE MILLION VIDEOS.

    A screenshot of Tate McRae's song "you broke me first" in her notes app before it was released.
    @tatemcrae / Via Instagram

    The song is the second most streamed song released by a female artist in 2020. And I guarantee you know the words.... even if you don't KNOW you know the words.

    7. Tate graduated high school in 2022.

    Tate McRae poses in an oversized white jacket, a silk head scarf and sunglasses.
    @tatemcrae / Via Instagram

    Despite her massive international success, Tate still had to check off one relatively "normal" accomplishment: getting through high school during the pandemic! She graduated from Western Canada High School online last year. 

    8. After being awarded Best Junior Female Dancer at the 2015 Dance Awards in New York City, she became a brand ambassador for the American dance manufactuer, Capezio.

    Tate McRae poses on the cover of "DANCE SPIRIT" magazine.
    @capezio / Via Tumblr

    So, for context, this is like... the Nike of dance shoes.

    9. The first song she ever recorded is called "One Day" which she wrote at the age of fourteen in ONE HOUR.

    Screenshot of Tate Mcrae's video for the original song "one day." She sits and sings at a piano.
    @tatemcrae / Via YouTube

    Having posted the original song to her prominent YouTube channel on October 20, 2017, it quickly garnered millions of views. This prompted her to self-release the song as an independent single and thus, her professional music career began! 

    10. Following the success of "One Day," Tate was signed by RCA Records. Her first single for the record label, “tear myself apart,” was written by the Grammy Award-winning sibling duo, Billie Eilish and FINNEAS.

    FINNEAS and Billie Eilish pose at the Met Gala.
    Matt Winkelmeyer / Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue

    She was seventeen years old at the time and a huge fan of both musicians. Talking about the collaboration, she said, "I got to meet Billie and Finneas at a show in LA and we talked about it. It was a really cool experience overall."

    11. Tate was born on July 1st, 2003.... a Canadian born on Canada's Day! How fitting.

    Dia Dipasupil / Getty Images

    For my astrology girlies, this makes her a Cancer sun. But she also has a Cancer moon and Mercury. A true water-sign, Cancer baby! 

    12. She was a featured dancer in Justin Bieber's Calgary show for the Purpose World Tour in 2016.

    Justin Bieber on stage at the Purpose World Tour.
    Kevin Mazur / Getty Images

    Tate danced alongside Justin's performance of "Children." Now we just have to cross our fingers and hope for a music collaboration between these two, young Canadian starlets 🤭

    13. Aside from her chart-topping tunes, you can catch a glimpse of her other voice work in the animated children's series, Lalaloopsy.

    Lalaloopsy character.
    Bethany Clarke / Getty Images

    Tate is the voice behind the character Spot Splatter Splash on the show, which ran from 2013 until its conclusion in 2015. 

    14. When she was fourteen years old, Tate was personally invited by Demi Lovato to rehearse to with her dancers for their performance at the American Music Awards in 2017.

    Steve Jennings / Getty Images

    The invite came after Tate posted a video of her choreography to Demi's song, "Tell Me You Love Me" to YouTube in November 2017. 

    15. Tate is a long-time YouTube creator. Before her professional music career popped off, she would feature her dancing and original songs on her series "Create With Tate" in 2017.

    An image of Tate McRae looking up.
    @tatemcrae / Via YouTube

    "Create With Tate" amassed hundreds of thousands of views and subscribers. Today, Tate has 4.42 million subscribers on her channel.  

    16. She is obsessed with Dua Lipa. Same, girl. Same.

    Dua Lipa looks at the camera wearing a leather jacket and chunky gold necklace.
    Phillip Faraone / Getty Images for GQ

    In her own words, "Not only is she an incredible artist and a big idol for me as a woman in the industry right now, but her style is unmatched. I feel like fashion-wise she always brings something new to the table." 

    17. Dancing and songwriting are both integral to Tate. According to her, dance helped her discover her confidence as a young girl and feel very settled in her own skin whereas songwriting is her version of therapy.

    Tate McRae sings into a microphone as she sits on a couch.
    Nbc / NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

    "So listening to my songs is like a secret pathway to my brain," she says. 

    It's Tate's world, baby and we're just living in it!

    Tate McRae dances in front of a camera surrounded by shirtless male backup dancers.
    Gilbert Flores / Penske Media via Getty Images

    *singing "greedy" at the top of my lungs.* 

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