Tate McRae has said she had a clear plan for her career from the beginning, outlining a “very specific vision” that shaped her rise as a global pop artist. Speaking to Billboard, the 22-year-old explained how her creative direction, collaborators and aesthetic were mapped out early on.
“I had a very specific vision,” she said.
“I remember being like, ‘I want to be a pop star. I want Sean Bankhead. I want to write over this tempo. I want to do it in a hockey rink. I want this to be the aesthetic.’ I could see it all in my brain.”
Building a team to match the vision
McRae pointed to working with Sean Bankhead as a key part of that plan. The choreographer, known for collaborations with artists including Lil Nas X, Cardi B, Normani, Usher and FKA Twigs, has worked on several of McRae’s major music videos and live performances.
She told Billboard that finding the right collaborators was essential to bringing her ideas to life:
“It was about collecting the right people around me to make it a reality.”
“Sometimes you get signs and messages on where you’re supposed to go in life, and you ignore it.”
“And then finally, it becomes the most piercing feeling in your gut, and you wake up and you’re like, ‘All right. No more time to waste.'”
From dancer to global pop success
McRae began her career as a dancer before breaking through internationally in 2020 with You Broke Me First, which gained global traction on streaming platforms and social media. She built on that momentum in 2023 with Greedy, a chart hit that further established her as a mainstream pop artist.
Dream collaborators and artists she admires
In the same interview, McRae named Lana Del Rey as her dream collaborator, describing herself as “just the biggest fan”.
She also highlighted a group of current female artists she admires, including Olivia Dean, Sabrina Carpenter, Gracie Abrams and Olivia Rodrigo.
Speaking about Rodrigo, she said:
“I’m so excited for her to drop music again. She’s an unbelievable songwriter.”
“She never fears brutal honesty or laying out all her insecurities or feelings on the table. She’s like that as a friend too, just the most open, honest person.”
