Switched on Pop

Learning to love: Tate McRae

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Tate McRae's billions of streams and perfectly crafted hits can feel almost algorithmic, like an AI trained on 20 years of pop music. In anticipation of McRae’s third album So Close to What, out this Friday, we dissect McRae’s "SimplePop" formula, from her strategic, indescript vocal delivery to expert "vibe snatching" of Y2K sounds. 

Through singles like "exes” and “sports car,” Charlie and Reanna trace her sonic lineage and discover why pop music needs artists who refine sounds as much as those who revolutionize them, seeing if there’s room to love her music in the process. This dancer-turned-singer might not be the next Britney Spears, but she could be this generation's Paula Abdul.


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Watch Adam Neely's "Scotch Snaps in Hip Hop"


Songs Discussed

  • Tate McRae - "sports car"
  • Tate McRae - "greedy"
  • Tate McRae - "you broke me first"
  • Tate McRae - "One Day"
  • Tate McRae - "exes"
  • Lisa - "Money"
  • Halsey - "100 Letters"
  • Cardi B - "I Like It"
  • Beyoncé - "Drunk in Love"
  • Ariana Grande - "7 Rings"
  • Ariana Grande - "thank u, next"
  • Tate McRae - "it's okay im okay" 
  • Ying Yang Twins - "Wait (The Whisper Song)"
  • The Lonely Island - "Bing Bong Brothers"
  • The Pussycat Dolls - "Buttons"
  • Missy Elliott - "Get Your Freak On"
  • Missy Elliott feat. Ludacris - "Gossip Folks"
  • Britney Spears - "Toxic"
  • Britney Spears - "Gimme More"
  • Cassie - "Me & U"
  • Paula Abdul - "Straight Up"

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