Tate McRae

“I remember reading Sylvia Plath being like, ‘I am her,’”

Tate McRae · said date not stated · reported 2026-08-03

McRae recalls reading Sylvia Plath and identifying with her during the emotional comedown from her tour.

“I really was the one who jumped on the bandwagon. I was like, ‘I love New York!’”

Tate McRae · said date not stated · reported 2026-08-03

McRae recalls celebrating her move to New York by catching Knicks fever and attending a game at Madison Square Garden.

“If you think about the reception while you’re creating, you’re destroying the process. Thinking about reception and people interpreting is so terrifying to me,”

Tate McRae · said date not stated · reported 2026-08-03

McRae explains why she avoids thinking about reception and interpretation while creating music.

“My thoughts felt so dark at the time, and I felt so lonely. I really needed to come back into my body and regulate my nervous system. I was so shot after the tour. I couldn’t really sleep at night. I’d seen so much of myself that I was like, ‘I want to go into a black room and not look in a mirror for six months.’ And I think I really had to check myself and be like, ‘You’re not the worst person in the world. You’re not the ugliest person in the world. You haven’t done everything wrong. And, you know, you’re just doing what you love.’”

Tate McRae · said date not stated · reported 2026-08-03

McRae describes feeling dark and lonely after her tour and the process of regulating her nervous system and checking herself.

“Our biggest thing is romanticizing and making everything so fun. It’s like, let’s go rent a pink Jeep and romanticize the shit out of this experience. That keeps life very light and exciting and a bit like a fantasy, which is the only way to approach this because it can come with a lot of pressure.”

Tate McRae · said date not stated · reported 2026-08-03

McRae describes treating work like play by romanticizing experiences to keep life light and exciting.

“The basket smelled amazing,”

Tate McRae · said date not stated · reported 2026-08-03

McRae recalls receiving a homemade loaf of sourdough bread from Taylor Swift.

“Sometimes in smaller rooms, you feel more nervous than [in front of] 20,000 people, and you start to target why you feel nervous and why you don’t try to overcome that,”

Tate McRae · said date not stated · reported 2026-08-03

McRae explains how performing in smaller rooms can feel more nerve-wracking than performing for 20,000 people.

“You’ve gotta learn yourself. You have to write down, ‘What are my favorite songs? What are my favorite colors? What are my favorite references? What are my favorite movies?’”

Tate McRae · said date not stated · reported 2026-08-03

McRae describes how she figures herself out by writing down her preferences in a journal.

“I think it’s muscle memory. When I was a kid feeling awkward in my skin or feeling uncomfortable, dancing was my way of feeling cool and feeling like I excelled at something. And I think I feel that way when I perform, like I’m in my element.”

Tate McRae · said date not stated · reported 2026-08-03

McRae describes dancing as muscle memory and her way of feeling cool and in her element since childhood.

“Sad girl bit got a little boring,”

Tate McRae · said date not stated · reported 2026-08-03

McRae admits on the opening track of her album 'Think Later' that the sad girl persona got boring.

“I have early signs of dementia, I think, because I can’t remember anything that’s ever happened to me.”

Tate McRae · said date not stated · reported 2026-08-03

McRae jokes about not remembering the finale of her tour at the Kia Forum in November.

“That, I think, shapes your identity and hopefully comes across through you as the vessel.”

Tate McRae · said date not stated · reported 2026-08-03

McRae explains that knowing your preferences shapes your identity and comes across in your work.

“I don’t know what perfume she wears, but I was like, ‘She must smell incredible.’”

Tate McRae · said date not stated · reported 2026-08-03

McRae recalls her reaction to the sourdough bread basket Taylor Swift sent her.