Tate McRae Steps Into Her Own with ‘I Used to Think I Could Fly’

The burgeoning star’s debut is full of catchy lyrics and dreamy production

Tate McRae is taking the world by storm. The 18-year-old singer just finished up her North American tour that spanned over 20 cities. Too, McRae’s most recent singles ‘She’s All I Wanna Be’ and ‘What Would You Do?’ have been mega-hits on streaming platforms and, of course, TikTok. Now, the Canadian singer has released her debut album I Used to Think I Could Fly: a cross-genre, coming-of-age journey of dilemmas and triumphs.

Each song on the 13-track album is complete with an accompanying visualizer as McRae dives into topics like heartbreak, loss, and evolving relationships throughout. Opening with ‘Don’t Come Back,’ the pop sensation blends her signature raspy vocals with radio-ready melodies as she samples Nelly’s 2001 banger “Ride Wit Me.”

The albums’s lyrics are straightforward, yet pack a punch that McRae has become known for. “We’ll make plans and I won’t show up/I won’t listen, I’ll interrupt/When your birthday comes won’t answer ya, ’cause/So what? So what?” will certainly be in our heads all Summer long.

Not only leaning into the realm of energetic pop jams, tracks like ‘Chaotic’ and ‘Hate Myself’ add a sense of depth to the album and help round out McRae’s burgeoning repertoire. Closing out her debut with the Finneas-produced ‘I Still Say Goodnight,’ McRae is surely one to watch. Listen to I Used to Think I Could Fly, below.

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