Why Is She In An Arena?

Being that I'm not a fan of reality television in any form, I had no idea who this young was was until I started writing this article. That woman, however, might have the next hit song on your radio as Tate McRae is finding her way through the music world! The 20 year-old, Calgary-born singer, songwriter, and dancer - born on Canada Day in 2003 just to put her Canadianness over the top - made a name for herself at the age of 13 when she became the first Canadian to be named as a finalist on the television show So You Think You Can Dance. Since that time, she's ranged into voice acting, singing, songwriting, and dancing, and her music had over 53 million monthly listeners on Spotify as of 2022. Clearly, she's got talent.

You might be saying, "Teebz, I've never heard of her," and that's ok if you haven't because it seems like there's a good chance you will. She was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live on November 18 when actor Jason Momoa hosted the show. She'll be embarking on a worldwide tour that starts in April in Europe before landing in North America in July where she'll be appearing in Toronto on July 27 before she heads over to Australia to conclude the tour. As stated above, she's popular on Spotify, and there's a good chance she's on a radio station in your city.

Being that this isn't a Canadian music blog, you may be wondering why I've spent two paragraphs talking about Tate McRae without mentioning hockey. Well, her newest single, "Greedy", has a lot of hockey visuals in it. Here's the video for "Greedy"!
For those asking, McRae released the video two months ago, and it already has over 49 million views on YouTube. "Greedy" is part of her new album that was released on December 8 called Think Later, and this might be one of those albums that gets a lot of play if you're looking for a holiday gift for someone. Or maybe for yourself.

Look, I'm no songwriter by any means and my ability to sing is limited to solo concerts in the car, but "Greedy" has a hook to it that gets into your head. I don't know if it will stick there for me, but there's an undeniable talent that McRae has. Her physical talents as a dancer are also on display in the video in terms of her flexibility and rhythm, and it's easy to see why she was a finalist on that reality television program.

My only question is this: why does this take place in a hockey rink?

According to McRae, she told People magazine,

"A guy had come up to me at a bar and he was like, 'Oh, you're so mysterious and I feel like I know nothing about you. You keep your cards so close to your chest," McRae, 20, recalls of the encounter to PEOPLE. "Then I was thinking, and I'm like, 'Yeah, it takes a lot for me to really open up and get to know someone.' You have to really get close to me."

"She adds, 'We started writing this really sassy song about the feeling of having utter confidence being like, 'Yeah, it takes a lot to really get me to open up.' And it ended up feeling like this really cool female empowerment song, which I loved.'"

As you can see, no mention of hockey, ice resurfacing machines, arenas, or anything else hockey-related in her inspiration for the song, so why does the video take place inside a hockey arena with the only very loose connection being that McRae is Canadian?

The answer may be a little darker than one expected as Tate McRae's ex-boyfriend is Columbus Blue Jackets forward Cole Sillinger! According to internet rumours, the two dated for a year before allegations of Sillinger cheating on McRae began to surface, but neither side has addressed nor confirmed nor denied those rumours. Frankly, it's none of my business as well, but it seems that her fans believe there's an underlying message in her lyrics that has manifested through her video filled with hockey imagery.

In any case, enjoy the music of Tate McRae as this young lady seems destined for big things! She's been nominated nine times for Juno Awards, but has yet to bring one home. It might only be a matter of time before she adds not only a Juno Award to her trophy case, but there may be a Grammy Award or two as well!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!