Review
Hey everyone, it is Tegan, and today we are talking about Tate McRae and her debut record, "i used to think i could fly". If this release were a scoop of ice cream, it would absolutely be a sweet but tart raspberry sorbet mixed with heavy dark chocolate chunks. It is smooth and polished pop, but every time you take a bite, you get those sharp, clean beats cutting through the acoustic softness. Honestly, balancing those contrasting elements reminds me of trying to assemble IKEA furniture without instructions, frustrating for a second but incredibly satisfying when it finally comes together. She totally nails that slick, fast-moving energy while navigating the messy fallout of a recent breakup.
The vibe across the tracklist has a totally cohesive identity, swinging wildly between confrontational energy and pure, lingering sadness. Tracks like "don't come back" and "what would you do?" serve up that restless, anxious flavor of young heartbreak, kind of like a double-shot espresso chip ice cream keeping you up all night overthinking your texts. Then you flip to "boy x" and "i still say goodnight", and suddenly we are in sad, melted vanilla bean territory, totally unguarded and vulnerable. It completely captures that chaotic era of trying so hard to move on while still having your exes Wi-Fi password memorized. She shines the brightest when she drops the armor and gets completely real with us.
Even if it stays in pretty familiar territory musically, "i used to think i could fly" is a totally convincing and catchy debut. Listening to songs like "hate myself" and "i'm so gone" feels like venting to your group chat after a disastrous Friday night out. Tate is really finding her voice here, turning all that hyper-aware emotional baggage into incredibly polished bops. It is exactly the kind of direct, authentic pop you need when you are deep in your feelings but still want to dance in your bedroom. Grab a spoon and dig into this sweet emotional dessert, because she definitely delivered the goods. - Tegan
Artist Bio
Tate McRae is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and dancer from Calgary who first gained prominence as the first Canadian finalist on So You Think You Can Dance at age 13 in 2016. She started releasing music professionally in 2020 after being signed by RCA Records, initially working in pop and electronic-influenced sounds before developing a more mainstream pop direction. Her breakthrough came with the viral hit “You Broke Me First” in 2020, followed by massive success with “Greedy” in 2023, which topped charts worldwide and helped establish her as a major pop star. McRae has released three studio albums, with her latest So Close to What (2025) debuting at number one on both the Canadian Albums Chart and US Billboard 200, and she achieved her first Billboard Hot 100 number-one as a featured artist on Morgan Wallen’s “What I Want.” Her sound is similar to artists like Dua Lipa, Olivia Rodrigo, and Billie Eilish, blending catchy pop melodies with introspective lyrics and strong dance elements influenced by her background as a professional dancer.
