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Tate McRae has reflected on her split from The Kid LAROI and the intense public scrutiny that came with the relationship, her first in the spotlight as an A-list pop star.
McRae graced the magenta-splashed cover of Rolling Stone on Thursday (Dec. 11). In the accompanying interview, the Canadian singer detailed how the speculation and public picking apart of her relationship with LAROI became “really scary” and “overwhelming.”
“I would never talk that way, even about my friends’ lives,” said the 22-year-old. “I didn’t realize how much it would affect me, the public knowing my private life — because no one knows the full story of anything, ever. I also hate people painting a situation that’s worse than it is.”
The “Greedy” singer confirmed to RS that the breakup took place in June, after the former couple sparked dating rumors in January 2024.
Rumors of a split arose when LAROI released “A Cold Play,” and McRae appeared to respond in September with her Billboard Hot 100 No. 3 hit “Tit for Tat,” which many fans concocted theories around by connecting lyrics to LAROI.
“But what I’ve had to realize is that he’s going to write songs and I’m going to write songs, and that’s our way of expressing ourselves,” McRae added. “That’s our art, that’s our job. And once it’s out there, it’s not mine anymore.”
One notable superstar to give Tate her flowers was Taylor Swift, who raved about the Ryan Tedder-produced “Tit for Tat” during an appearance on The Tonight Show.
“I’m such a massive fan, and I adore her,” McRae gushed about Swift. “So when I pulled up my phone and saw that she had talked about it, it was one of the coolest moments ever. She is such an inspiration for me as a writer and, obviously, as a woman in the industry. For her to acknowledge that was really special.”
Elsewhere in the Rolling Stone cover, while fans have drawn parallels between Britney Spears and McRae’s artistry, Tate said not to expect her to be involved in the upcoming Britney biopic.
“I don’t really act. I need to take an acting lesson before I ever consider ever doing anything,” she said. “Also, I feel like I look nothing like her, sound nothing like her, so I don’t know if I’d be a great fit.
