In a rising popular venue in Atlanta, up-and-coming music sensation, Tate McRae, brings her tour to the South. At Terminal West, 18-year-old McRae has brought along UK-native, Mimi Webb, as a supporting act. “Only think about him on the weekdays and weekends,” McRae sings her opener to her Atlanta crowd. Paired with two dancers, one on either side of her, McRae is on stage with full leg extensions and light choreography. The crowd is roaring. “Hi, Atlanta.” Tate McRae waves at the fully packed venue. She remarks that her last time in Atlanta was at Music Midtown in September 2021. “It was my favorite festival to perform at,” the singer admits. After introductory notes, McRae starts the track for her 2020 anthem, “r u ok.”
“I have a question for you guys, does anyone here have any fake friends?” McRae’s dancers make their way back on stage for her next performance of her single, “all my friends are fake.” McRae’s custom “T8” sign lights up in array of colors as her next song, “Bad Ones,” begins to fill the room. After the track concludes, McRae’s band begins to reset as she looks around for a place to sit. Grabbing her mic and sitting perched on a stool, McRae lets her set dip to a light lull.
“Some of you may know I started out on YouTube,” she begins. She reminisces on her first song ever released, “I wrote it in 20 minutes when I was 13. And now it’s just stuck with me forever.” People begin to scream the title of the song from different places in the crowd. McRae laughs as the music for “One Day,” starts to play.
McRae notes that her next song she wrote when she was “in grade 10,” and recalls the moments leading up to its release. The track from her 2020 EP, “that way,” starts weave through the crowd like a dream. With lyrics like, “I know what you mean when you act like that,” McRae is reliving those memories all over again. As the track comes to a close, McRae hands off the stool and stands, visibly more energetic. Suddenly, a pulsing rhythmic tempo starts to play as the intro of “You” begins to play. Troye Sivan’s vocals singing “All I need is you,” play out as McRae takes center stage. Her dancers are serving high energy, popping their hips and swaying to the music.
Tracks like, “feel like shit,” “rubberband,” and “she’s all i wanna be,” start to finalize the moments leading to the end of McRae’s set. Hands are in the air as McRae’s fans thrive in this moment; the Canadian pop star has given such a performance. She ends the set with her most popular song, “you broke me first.” The audience is singing along at full volume. “Maybe you don’t like talking too much about yourself,” the audience yells as McRae hits every note to her final song. The beat drop sends the crowd into a frenzy as she moves into the next verse. As the song moves along, the room is buzzing on a tangible adrenaline rush. As McRae says her goodbyes to the crowd, phones are out recording her last moments on stage.
With her debut album, I Used To Think I Could Fly, out in May 2022, McRae is riding the highs of tour and new music. If you want to stay up-to-date on Tate McRae, you can find her on Instagram and Twitter (@TateMcRae) for more info on tour, merch, and (of course) her new album. You can also find the UK artist who’s rocking the charts on Instagram (@mimiiiwebb) and Twitter (@mimiwebb).
Words by Kaylee Pickens
Photos by Chandler Bunzol