Rising pop star Tate McRae reveals all about her biggest career hits to date and reacts to seeing them appear on the Billboard charts, shares how artists like Noah Kahan, Rosalía, and Post Malone inspire her, talks about how excited she is for the Billboard Music Awards, how she went from aspiring dancer to rising pop star and more!
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00:00 When Billboard on Instagram posts that top 10 picture
00:03 and to see my name beside Taylor Swift and Bad Bunny
00:06 is just so next level.
00:08 Yeah, it feels very surreal what's happening right now.
00:11 (upbeat music)
00:13 Hey, my name is Tate McRae
00:20 and today we're gonna be climbing the charts
00:22 looking at how my music has charted
00:24 and also my idols, how they charted.
00:26 ♪ But I don't really care how bad it hurts ♪
00:29 ♪ When you broke me ♪
00:32 I remember the day I was on a walk with my mom
00:34 and I remember I was like, oh my God,
00:36 I'm number one on like the bubbling under,
00:38 the hot 100 chart.
00:40 And I was like, this is the biggest day of my life.
00:43 When "You Broke Me First" hit 17,
00:45 it's pretty wild because I feel like
00:47 I've just been watching my favorite artists
00:49 of all time on that chart.
00:50 And I think at first I didn't realize the capacity
00:54 of what "You Broke Me First" had done
00:56 until I actually like got to LA
00:58 and realized that it had gotten to a specific spot
01:01 and gotten that big.
01:02 When I wrote "You Broke Me First", I was 16.
01:05 I was like, I have to put this song out, I really want to.
01:08 The first time I had to like film my first ever
01:10 like legit music video was with my friend,
01:13 like back in Calgary on VideoStar on my phone.
01:17 It's only two passes of the entire music video.
01:19 It's so crazy, it has like so many views now
01:21 and it's so strange to just look back
01:23 and see that it was literally made on an iPhone.
01:26 ♪ When I talk to my friends, I talk about you ♪
01:30 So Troy was recording in Australia
01:32 and I was recording in Canada
01:34 and it was one of my first ever like collaborations.
01:37 And it all kind of came together just like
01:39 version upon version, like back and forth.
01:41 And then we ended up just releasing it
01:42 and we hadn't even like met each other in real life yet.
01:44 It feels surreal every time.
01:45 I don't think there's like a feeling.
01:47 I just feel very grateful that people know my music
01:49 and are able to make it into their own lives
01:52 and appreciate it.
01:53 It's just very cool to me.
01:54 I think half the time you don't even know
01:56 what like, what means what
01:59 and where you actually are until it like happens
02:01 and you're like, holy, how did my song even get to that point
02:03 but that's really crazy that it hit number one.
02:06 ♪ When I'm working ♪
02:08 ♪ You're the only one that I want ♪
02:10 ♪ When I'm working ♪
02:11 Well Khalid was my favorite artist
02:14 and I just remember like writing in my journal
02:16 and manifesting like, if I could do a collab with anyone
02:18 it would be Khalid.
02:19 Then I remember the day that he had just like DM'd me
02:22 and it was so cool.
02:23 I was like, I can't believe you know who I am
02:25 and I met him at the music video shoot
02:27 and it's a very like full circle moment
02:29 when you get to collaborate and sing beside your idol.
02:32 Feels very wild.
02:33 ♪ She's got everything that I don't have ♪
02:35 ♪ And she's all I wanna be ♪
02:37 ♪ All I wanna be so bad ♪
02:40 It's pretty crazy that "She's All I Wanna Be"
02:42 got on the Hot 100.
02:43 I always feel like when I write a song completely by myself
02:46 there's so much doubt that comes along with it.
02:48 I write a lot of my music by myself
02:50 but as much as I love the song, I'm also a Tarsha's critic.
02:53 So you just like never know
02:54 what people are gonna think of it.
02:55 That one was a pretty vulnerable song for me
02:57 and to see it translate to live shows
03:01 and to see it get on the Hot 100, it means the world to me.
03:04 ♪ How could you blame me ♪
03:06 ♪ Going off this chaotic ♪
03:08 Especially a ballad like that on the Hot 100.
03:12 I didn't even think that song would make a chart.
03:14 I think when songs you write that are that personal
03:17 and that close to you, you're like,
03:18 "Okay, this will be a fan favorite
03:19 and we'll leave it at that."
03:20 But I feel like that song ended up being
03:23 their actual favorites and I can't believe it even charted.
03:26 ♪ All I know is 1035 ♪
03:28 ♪ And I can't feel your arms around me ♪
03:31 "1035" was interesting because
03:33 it was Tiesto's record, obviously,
03:35 so I was just jumping on it.
03:36 It was a full process.
03:38 I mean, I had to fly to Dubai to film a music video
03:40 and we were there for like 48 hours.
03:43 I don't usually do a lot of DJ records
03:45 so it was definitely a first for me.
03:46 I feel like a lot of people figured out my music
03:48 because of Tiesto.
03:50 It's like a totally different side of the world
03:51 and demographic is his music.
03:53 So getting on a song with him was eye-opening
03:56 to just like a whole 'nother world of music.
03:59 I mean, obviously getting nominated
04:00 for a Billboard Music Award has been
04:02 like one of my dreams for so long.
04:04 It's a weird thing.
04:05 You watch all your favorite artists
04:07 for years and years and years on the Billboard Music Awards
04:09 and you're like, "Wow, one day I hope to go
04:11 and just like even attend and see them."
04:13 And to get nominated just feels like an honor
04:15 and I feel like no matter what,
04:17 I'll forever feel so grateful for that
04:19 and just be in disbelief that it actually happened.
04:21 ♪ I would want myself ♪
04:23 ♪ To live a dream to believe ♪
04:24 I was so nervous to release this song
04:27 because I feel like I hadn't released music for 11 months.
04:30 And so my fans were just kind of like waiting
04:31 to see what I would do next
04:33 and I didn't really know what direction I was gonna go in,
04:35 especially taking that much time off
04:37 and then coming back with a song
04:38 and it being like my biggest debut of a song ever
04:40 is just like the craziest feeling ever.
04:43 It's been really exciting to see it
04:45 on the Billboard Hot 100.
04:46 Just because even in the global 200,
04:49 like seeing it get to like number four
04:52 has been like so nuts.
04:53 It's wild that this all started when I was 16
04:56 'cause I didn't even know if I wanted to like grow up
04:58 and be a singer.
04:59 I thought I was gonna be a backup dancer or something.
05:02 So to see the success of songs
05:04 that are coming from my bedroom
05:06 and then obviously translating to the rest of the world
05:08 was very mind boggling for me and still is to this day.
05:12 I feel like now it feels like my job
05:14 and I'm like, "Okay, this is cool.
05:16 I get to like actually do this every single day
05:18 and put my full attention into it."
05:19 But when I released "Broken First,"
05:20 like I was still finishing grade 11.
05:22 It is very crazy.
05:23 Just my mentality has obviously shifted a little bit.
05:26 (upbeat music)
05:29 Noah Khan is so incredible.
05:34 Honestly, just like he writes like real shit.
05:37 He has such a niche style
05:39 where he writes so particularly
05:41 in like the specific place that he was in,
05:43 really, really specific moments.
05:45 And for something like that to cut through
05:46 and obviously be so respected is so amazing to see.
05:50 I think the best artists are the most versatile artists
05:53 who I can touch in any genre.
05:55 Even when I write music,
05:56 I take inspiration from rap and country and folk music.
06:00 And then I write a pop song out of all of those inspirations.
06:04 And I think that's the beauty of it
06:06 is you can make it into whatever you want.
06:07 The art always comes first
06:09 and regardless of when it happens or where it happens,
06:11 the fans are gonna go back and see that it's real art.
06:13 And I think that's what's been happening with Noah.
06:16 People are being like,
06:17 "Wow, he's insane and he has been insane
06:19 for three, four years."
06:20 And that's always cool to see that in an artist.
06:23 I'm a big fan of Rosalie.
06:25 I'm actually kind of a new fan in the last couple of years.
06:27 I got to see her perform live in LA
06:29 and it just is very rare that an artist comes along
06:32 and puts on that good of a show.
06:34 I've been a dancer my whole life.
06:35 So obviously I have a different eye for watching shows.
06:39 And I feel like I'm a little more like
06:40 looking at the dancers behind her
06:41 and how the production's set up and the lighting.
06:43 And it's just pretty surreal to see that she's crossed over
06:46 and made some insane performances at Coachella.
06:50 And it just is very inspiring for my shows.
06:52 And I try to look at her and be inspired as a performer.
06:55 I think that Rosalie deserves to be on the Hot 100
06:58 one million percent.
06:59 Her music is incredible.
07:00 The quality of her music is so good.
07:02 Even the Sonics in her albums are just so out there.
07:05 Just feels like she's put a lot of time and effort
07:08 into making sure that her art is exactly how she wants it.
07:11 Pop can be whatever you want it to be.
07:13 I feel like it's a very broad genre.
07:16 And I think that's what people are wanting right now
07:19 is just like fresh new sounds.
07:21 And Rosalie is coming out with all of that.
07:23 I feel like her music is just so catchy and fun.
07:26 I would put that on.
07:27 Even though I can't understand half the words she's saying.
07:30 I'm like, I would still put it on in my car
07:31 and jam out and think it's a tune.
07:34 I have been the biggest Post Malone fan for so many years.
07:38 I've listened to all of his albums.
07:40 I know all of his songs.
07:41 Been to so many of his concerts.
07:43 I'm just a big fan and I think he is so talented.
07:45 I feel like Post Malone had a pretty quick pop-up.
07:49 I think people quickly recognized how amazing he was
07:52 and then fell in love with every single one of his songs
07:54 and they all just became massive hits.
07:56 I mean, you can hear a good song and be like,
07:58 God, this is gonna be huge in two seconds.
08:00 And I feel like that was the first time
08:01 I ever heard Post Malone, like White Everson and All Apart.
08:04 And I was just like, oh, he's gonna be
08:05 the biggest thing on the planet.
08:06 Collaborations are amazing.
08:07 I mean, you get to learn so much from other artists
08:09 and being in the room, writing,
08:12 experiencing how they record, how they do their records
08:14 is all a very cool process.
08:16 Getting a song to be successful when it's on your own
08:18 is just a different type of like,
08:20 wow, I can't believe I did that.
08:21 I mean, collaborations will always be so fun,
08:23 but I do think that getting a song on your own
08:26 to get that big and translate to people all over the world
08:28 is a different kind of special.
08:29 (upbeat music)
08:32 All I can say is that it's surreal
08:35 and I just feel very lucky to be on the same chart as them
08:37 and that my music is even in the same realm as them.
08:39 I remember being 13 years old,
08:41 being like, I can never make the Hot 100.
08:43 And so just to even be on there
08:45 with some of my biggest idols is very surreal.
08:48 (upbeat music)
08:50 (upbeat music)
08:53 (upbeat music)
08:55 (whooshing)