If a music exec could walk into a factory and pick the perfect pop star off the shelf, that star would look a lot like Tate McRae.
The Canadian singer started work on So You Think You Can Dance at 13 – then leveraged YouTube, TikTok and the pop-PR machine to swoosh with her perfect hair into megastardom.
Now 21, she boasts billions of Spotify listeners, while her TikToks each rack up millions of views.
Today’s release of her third album, So Close To What, will only tighten McRae’s grip on Gens Z and Alpha. Think sports cars, boys and hook-filled tracks meant for dancing, not deep thought.
Being “factory-ready” isn’t a knock on her talent – she has plenty.
The challenge? Standing out in an industry where legacy icons like Lady Gaga and other internet-born stars like Chappell Roan and Billie Eilish are putting out genre-defining records.
