Tate McRae, she's everything a pop star should be.
Photo by Kianna Sumitani (Photographer, The Continuist)
Written and photographed by Kianna Sumitani (she/her, IG: @kiannacreates)
Content Creator (Photography), The Continuist
If you have not heard the name Tate McRae yet, you may be living under a rock. The Canadian singer-songwriter and professional dancer put on quite the show on April 4th, selling out Danforth Music Hall in Toronto.
With a lineup of fans wrapping around the entire block, concertgoers were eager to get a good spot in the pit; some even skipped school and waited as early as 8 am. When fans camp outside before a concert, it’s clear that the show is going to be great, especially paired with the growing anticipation from McRae’s rise to fame in the past few years from her breakout hit “you broke me first” in 2020.
Photo by Kianna Sumitani (Photographer, The Continuist)
McRae's connection with her fans is one of the reasons why she is so unique—there are not many artists who are growing at the rate Tate McRae is while still remaining down-to-earth and humble. From her brief appearance outside the venue to say hello to fans moments before doors opened, to her last song of the night, you could see how much her fans meant to her.
Photo by Kianna Sumitani (Photographer, The Continuist)
Doors opened at 7 pm and attendees were in for quite the show, with Toronto natives, Babygirl, kicking the night off with a short but very well performed set that helped grow fans' excitement for the night to come. The second opener of the night, British singer-songwriter, Mimi Webb, brought her energy and impressive vocal range to Danforth. “House On Fire,” “Dumb Love” and “24/5” left fans chanting Webb's name. With excellent stage presence, Webb’s fun-hearted personality could be seen throughout her entire set. Unison among fans was a common trait found at this show and hearing fans chant Mimi Webb’s cover of Adele’s “Someone Like You” left attendees with goosebumps. Webb’s shoutout to Tate McRae at the end of her set left fans cheering for this show’s headliner. And McRae did not disappoint.
Babygirl and Mimi Webb
Photo by Kianna Sumitani (Photographer, The Continuist)
Starting her set off with her song, “stupid”, it was evident that everyone was in for a top-notch show with amazing choreography. As a professional dancer, Tate McRae put on a performance, to say the least, showcasing her outstanding dance skills from beginning to end. In sync with her two backup dancers and dancing in front of an illuminated “T8” neon sign, the choreography alone left fans screaming from Tate McRae’s many hair flips and leg kicks. McRae's ability to sing, dance and interact with fans was beyond impressive, these elements completely differentiating her from other artists.
Photo by Kianna Sumitani (Photographer, The Continuist)
Halfway through her set, Tate McRae took a moment to explain her next song; the first song she ever released, titled “One Day.” From first posting covers on YouTube to hearing every fan screaming every single word of her breakout release was a very memorable moment of the night. As a young artist at only 18-years-old, you could see how much it meant to McRae that fans not only knew this song but screamed it at the top of their lungs.
Photo by Kianna Sumitani (Photographer, The Continuist)
Describing the fans at this show as 'on another level' does not begin to do them justice. While Danforth Music Hall was packed from this sold-out show, the lack of pushing within the crowd made this a very comfortable environment for everybody. The super fans of the show also helped create a fan initiative where many supporters were handed small pink paper hearts while in line to put over their phone flashlights to show love to McRae throughout her show. Not only were fans respectful of others’ personal space, but the entire crowd knew every single one of Tate McRae’s songs, including her excellent cover of The Script’s “Breakeven," setting an example for what every general admission pit should look like.
Photo by Kianna Sumitani (Photographer, The Continuist)
Tate McRae continued to bring the house down, beginning to end her set with one of her newest hits “she’s all i wanna be.” There is no doubt that this upbeat performance will be seen on social media in the coming days with McRae managing to jump around while hitting every single note. Finishing her set with her smash hit, “you broke me first,” McRae left everything on the stage, leaving fans smiling ear-to-ear while waiting to exit the venue.
Photo by Kianna Sumitani (Photographer, The Continuist)
Tate McRae is the pinnacle of what a pop star should be, extremely talented, versatile and humble, giving her fans a night they will remember for the rest of their lives. There is a good chance there were even fans watching this performance and thinking, “she’s all I want to be.”
Photo by Kianna Sumitani (Photographer, The Continuist)
If you did not grab tickets to see McRae on this tour, do not panic. This outstanding artist will also be performing alongside Shawn Mendes this coming year. With her first album, “i used to think i could fly,” scheduled to be released at the end of May, this is not the last time you will be hearing Tate McRae’s name.
Rating: 10/10
You can find additional shots from the show @kiannacreates on Instagram.
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