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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Pitt chapter.

Tate McRae, dancer, singer and songwriter from Calgary, Canada is pop culture’s next big thing! I don’t know about you, but I cannot seem to escape the star. She lives on my For You Page on TikTok, and her live performances from her recent Think Later World Tour are going more viral than ever.

You may recognize her as a finalist from season thirteen of So You Think You Can Dance, or her youtube channel “Create with Tate,” but most likely, you know her best from her hockey-themed music video, “Greedy.” Her dance experience throughout the years are to thank for the Tate we are so obsessed with today, and have inspired her self-named alter-ego “Tatiana” that effortlessly shines center stage. 

In 2022, the singer became romantically involved with the NHL Columbus Blue Jacket, Cole Sillinger. Without getting too into detail with the messy breakup, let’s just say her 2023 post-breakup album written about the “player” gained so much popularity that she made it to the NHL All-Star game before he did. 

At the game, she showcased several songs directly on the ice from her sophomore album titled Think Later, including “Think Later,” “Exes,” “You Broke Me First,” “Run for the Hills,” and last but not least, “Greedy.” This electrifying performance was a huge turning point for McRae as the thousands of hockey fans gathered in the arena and the millions tuning in at home were left in awe, ultimately taking the internet by storm overnight.

Whilst the Think Later album made it obvious she was throwing shade at one of her exes, when considering other aspects of her life, Tate also has a major hockey-oriented family since her older brother, Tucker McRae, plays the sport. Outside of the “Greedy” music video, you’ll catch Tate wearing jerseys in interviews, on-stage, and on the daily. She looks so cool doing it and it’s giving iconic pop star all across the charts!

Speaking of charts, her slow but steady career quickly skyrocketed after fans listened to the hit single and already began calling the singer the “new Britney Spears,” as her sass, energy, and well… inner-Tatiana was shining through it. The song blew up on TikTok very abruptly, and has now surpassed 1.4 billion streams in its first year! However, this song would not be the only hit of hers as she steps it up with her newest single, “It’s Ok I’m Ok,” dropping hints of her next era in the entertainment world.

Britney Spears actually has much influence on Tate’s music today. We see it in her outfit choices, hear it in her song lyrics, and feel it in her stage presence. In early December of 2023, Tate was interviewed by Vogue, asking her about the early 2000s era. Tate highlights that, “I feel like those were some of the most iconic music videos of all time: Britney, Christina, Madonna..There are so many videos that I look back at and it’s really the full production—the singing, the dancing, the visuals. I think people miss that.” However, at Tate’s rate in the industry race, Vogue claims “She’s taking over the world.” 

Like many singers, her dream venue was to perform at MSG A.K.A Madison Square Garden, and Tate recently got to fulfill that dream of hers, fueling her energy into flames. However, her fire won’t be put out anytime soon, especially after what she pulled at her headline show. 

To send off her headline show of her Think Later World Tour at MSG, she had one more trick up her sleeve. In a comedic bit on the big screen, her team goes, “she’s gonna do it,” and she frantically urges her team by saying, “someone get me my f***!ng headmic.” The crowd went wild because… oops she did it again. YES! A HEADMIC! 

If you’ve never listened to Tate, you might wonder why this is such a big deal, but her fanbase has been anxious for her all this time since she goes so hard when performing full out, with a MICROPHONE IN HER HAND?! All us Tater Tots can really think is “this girl is crazy,” but that’s why we love her. That’s Tatiana for you! Performing her never-heard before single “It’s Ok I’m Ok,” including fresh choreography, and entering this era with a new mindset (and headset), just screams Britney Spears. You could also call it giving the fans what they want, I mean… you can’t spell Tate without “ate,” just saying!

Tate is no one-hit wonder, as she has proved time and time again that her music, videos, and live shows are all a statement that pop culture isn’t over, but rather just starting, and we are so here for it. 

Before you go, this spicy performance of hers will take you for a real spin. Don’t believe me? Baby, don’t get greedy now, just watch for yourself! 

Kelly Kowalewski is a Law, Criminal Justice & Society Student at the University of Pittsburgh. She is also minoring in Sociology and plans on picking up her Digital Media Certification. On campus, Kelly is also involved in Women in Law and the Delta Phi Epsilon Sorority. After moving to Southern California in middle school, she quickly found a new love for writing and journaling, which led to an amazing opportunity- becoming a Published author! Her story was written in the pages of "Dear Freedom Writer: Stories of Hardship and Hope from the Next Generation," among other teens. Her accomplishments inspired her to pursue a career path that involves writing. When she's not writing you can find her at the beach, it's her happy place really! Her absolute favorite beach is the La Jolla Shores Beach in SoCal, where she plans on kickstarting her career after graduating college.