Not many pop stars can say they once danced on stage with Justin Bieber as a kid and later knocked Drake off the top of the Billboard 200. The Canadian singer, songwriter and dancer started out in a Calgary dance studio, built an audience on YouTube and TikTok, and now sells out arenas around the world.
If you’ve ever wondered how she got here, this Tate McRae biography breaks it down in 10 facts, from her first dance classes to her biggest hits. Read more about Kimberly Guilfoyle
10 Fascinating Facts About Tate McRae
1. She Started Dancing Long Before She Became a Pop Star
Tate Rosner McRae was born in Calgary, Alberta, on July 1, 2003. When she was four, her family moved to Oman, where her mother taught dance classes, and they stayed there for three years. She started recreational dance at six, and after the family returned to Calgary she began training far more seriously at eight.
By the time she was a young teen, she was in the professional division at the School of Alberta Ballet and training with an elite program that traveled to the U.S. All those hours explain a lot about her stage presence today. Her early life was built around movement, long before she ever released a song.
2. She Became a Major Name on a Big Dance Show
In 2016, She competed on So You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation, and it changed everything. She became the first Canadian finalist on the show and finished third, which was the best result for a Canadian at the time. Dancer Kathryn McCormick mentored her through the season.
The experience meant a couple of months of training in Los Angeles and a crash course in cameras and interviews. McRae has said that exposure at such a young age was valuable. It also pushed her to keep challenging herself afterward, which led straight to her next move.
3. A YouTube Song Helped Change Her Life
So how did McRae become famous as a singer? It started with a weekly YouTube series called Create With Tate, launched in fall 2017. She used it to post choreography and covers, and one of the early uploads was a piano ballad she wrote herself, “One Day.”
That song picked up attention online. By early 2018, she and her parents were flying to New York for label meetings, and about a year later she signed with RCA Records. A dancer who posted a heartbreak song on YouTube ended up with a major record deal. That’s a pretty good origin story.
4. “You Broke Me First” Was Her Breakthrough Hit
If you’re asking what song made McRae famous, it’s “You Broke Me First.” Released in April 2020, the stripped-back breakup song exploded on TikTok and went on to chart around the world. It has since passed a billion streams.
The song works because it’s simple and painfully relatable. It sounds like a real thought you’d have after a breakup, and millions of people heard themselves in it. By January 2021 she had spent four straight weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart. The dancer from YouTube was now a serious recording artist.
5. Her Debut Album Showed a More Personal Side
In 2022, McRae released her debut album, I Used to Think I Could Fly. Where “You Broke Me First” was a single moment, the album gave fans the bigger picture. The songs deal with heartbreak, growing up and figuring out who you are when everything feels uncertain.
Singles like “Chaotic” and “What Would You Do?” kept the momentum going, and the project proved she could hold an album together, not just land a viral hit. It also made clear that she writes her own material, which helped listeners connect with her as an artist and not just a trending sound.
6. “Greedy” Turned Her Into a Global Pop Sensation
Then came “Greedy.” Released in 2023, it swapped the sad-girl piano vibe for a confident, 2000s-flavored pop strut, with a slinky beat and a hook that stuck in your head for days. It also came with choreography, which gave her dance background a big moment.
The song became a worldwide hit and landed her on bigger stages, including Saturday Night Live and the 2023 Billboard Music Awards. In Australia it narrowly missed the top of the singles chart. For a lot of listeners, “Greedy” is the song where she went from a rising name to a pop fixture.
7. Her Sound Grew From Heartbreak to Confident Dance-Pop
Think Later arrived in December 2023 and made the shift official. Songs like “exes” and “greedy” leaned into Y2K-inspired visuals and glossy, danceable production, while still keeping the emotional honesty of her earlier work. She followed it with the Think Later Tour, which ran from April to November 2024.
That mix is a big part of her appeal. You can dance to a McRae song and still feel something while you do it. The sadness didn’t disappear, it just got a better beat.
8. She Kept Climbing With So Close to What
Her third album, So Close to What, came out on February 21, 2025, and it was her biggest moment yet. It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 177,000 album units, and it also hit No. 1 in Canada, Australia and several other countries. It reached No. 2 in the UK. Eleven of its songs landed on the Billboard Hot 100 in the same week.
“Sports car,” which she wrote with Julia Michaels, Ryan Tedder and Grant Boutin, became the album’s defining track. It peaked at No. 3 on the UK Official Singles Chart and No. 9 on the Canadian Hot 100. She wrapped the era in November 2025 with a deluxe edition that included “Tit for Tat” and “Nobody’s Girl.” You can find her latest releases on her official website.
9. Her Dance Skills Still Set Her Apart on Stage
Plenty of pop stars add choreography. McRae’s choreography is the point. Her music videos, especially “Revolving Door,” are built around her movement, and her live shows ask a lot of her physically while she sings.
Her Miss Possessive Tour kicked off in Mexico City on March 18, 2025, and ran across the Americas and Europe before ending in Inglewood, California, on November 8. It grew to roughly 80 shows. Few artists can sing and dance at that level for a whole arena, and it’s one of the main reasons people say she doesn’t have an obvious twin in pop.
10. She Has Earned Major Recognition at a Young Age
In 2025, McRae won four Juno Awards: album of the year, pop album of the year, single of the year and artist of the year. She also landed on the cover of Time in a feature on influential rising stars. Her song “Just Keep Watching,” from the F1 movie soundtrack, picked up Song of the Summer at the MTV VMAs.
It also earned her first Grammy nomination, for Best Dance Pop Recording at the 2026 ceremony. Lady Gaga’s “Abracadabra” took the trophy that night, but being nominated at 22 says plenty about how far she had come. For the full awards list, check her GRAMMY.com artist page.
What Makes McRae Different From Other Pop Stars?
Ask what she is famous for and the honest answer is a combination. She’s a trained dancer who writes her own songs, and her music has grown with her, from quiet heartbreak ballads to confident dance-pop. Plenty of artists do one of those things well. Doing all of them, and making it feel natural on stage, is what gives her a distinct lane.
Conclusion
From dance competitions to YouTube uploads to the top of the charts, Tate McRae’s career has moved fast, and she’s still in her twenties. Her next chapter is already on the way. She announced a new single, “Housewife,” for October 15, and she’s set to perform at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show on October 18. Want to explore more celebrity stories? Visit SayWhatMagazine for the latest celebrity news, net worth, and lifestyle articles.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Tate McRae?
She is a Canadian singer, songwriter and dancer from Calgary, Alberta. She first gained attention as a dancer and then built a pop career with hits like “You Broke Me First,” “Greedy” and “Sports car.”
How old is McRae?
She was born on July 1, 2003, which makes her 23 years old.
What is Tate McRae’s real name?
Her full birth name is Tate Rosner McRae.
What song made her famous?
“You Broke Me First” was her breakthrough in 2020. She had already started to build an online following in 2017 with her original song “One Day.”
What are Tate McRae’s most popular songs?
Her best-known tracks include “You Broke Me First,” “Greedy,” “exes,” “Sports car” and “Just Keep Watching.”
