‘I Love You Guys a Little Bit Extra’: 7 Best Moments From Tate McRae at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena

In the mid-2010s, Sweden-born Zara Larsson was seemingly on a similar trajectory to Tate McRae. After her 2015 charting track “Lush Life,” the singer became less of a household name. But that changed when sleeper hit “Symphony,” a collaboration with Clean Bandit, went viral on social media last year — it peaked at No. 34 on the Canadian Hot 100 in 2017. Larsson, being billed as an opener, came as a surprise forsome fansdue to her decade-spanning career. Yet, Larsson brought her A-game as the first act of the night.

From her opening track, “Pretty Ugly,” she drew in concertgoers with her succinct choreography and impeccable vocals, which boasted her talented use of breath control. While being lifted by her four dancers, she was still able to deliver perfectly on-pitch vocals. While “Lush Life” was slotted into the middle of the setlist, hits like “Never Forget You” and “Symphony” kept the setlist packed with favourites. She even teased a shortened cover of Britney Spears’ “Gimme More,” which was an apt choice considering McRae’s frequent comparisons to the star pop singer.

Before she hit the stage, the concert was already getting fans amped up. As the lights went down, Charli XCX’s track “party 4 u” played over the speakers and energized the crowd. Once the song ended, fans were focused on the big screen centre stage, which displayed a pre-recorded video of McRae backstage, clicking around on monitors, showcasing fans from the show. As they noticed their faces on screen, they jumped and cheered with their phone at the ready to record McRae’s entrance.

When she strutted on-stage to performSo Close To Whatalbum opener — and the tour’s namesake – “Miss Possessive,” her natural stage presence took over. As she stepped onto the industrial-like platform, flames and fireworks erupted. McRae threw her sunglasses to the side and launched into the track’s opening lyrics, which were quickly followed by a complex dance routine with her crew.

For the past couple of weeks, McRae has been touring her home country, and she’s clearly touched by being back where she grew up. “It’s always so special coming back to Canada,” she told the crowd. “It feels like a fever dream a little bit, because I just love you guys a little bit extra.” Fans screamed.

McRae zeroed in on the city she was in, expressing her gratitude for how massive the shows have become in Toronto. “I played a show in Toronto in 2020, and there were 200 of you here and now we’re here,” she marvelled.

Last year, McRae made two stops in Toronto. In February, sheperformed at the NHL All-Star Game, but returned a few months later to headline Budweiser Stage in support of her 2023 album,Think Later. “Was anybody here last year at Budweiser?” she asked, which garnered a resounding yes. “That was sick,” she replied.

Midway through the show, McRae walked through the crowd and stepped onto the B-stage. It was a downtempo moment after a string of upbeat pop tunes. On the alternate platform, McRae brought fans back to her moodier earlier music before she became known for her pop bangers and dance moves.

“I actually started this singing career on YouTube,” she said. “I would post original songs every Friday and call it Create with Tate. I wanted to see who in this room has been a fan since then.”

She sat down at the keyboard and tested out a sampling of her 2021 track “That Day,” which the stadium immediately knew how to sing along to. “Oh, so you know that one,” she joked. She played a medley of the songs that first put her on the map, including “rubberband,” “feel like s–t,” and “One Day,” which McRae said fans earn bonus points for if they knew the words – and they did.

Before leaving the stage, she had one last nostalgic treat for fans — 2020’s “You Broke Me First.” In the lead-up, she shared her appreciation for her breakout single, which reached TikTok virality and peaked at No. 8 on the Canadian Hot 100 after its release.

While McRae is at home performing backed by dancers, it was the moments she spent solo that felt the most captivating. It was her time to show off her trademark “cursive singing” vocals.

As she sang fan favourites “Uh Oh” and “Siren Sounds,” the crowd was in awe at McRae’s ability to command the stage, as she draped herself over a pole and the literal spotlight shone on her.

Even when she tripped during “She’s All I Wanna Be,” McRae pulled herself together and continued strutting.

McRae and her dancers have a deep admiration for one another. At various points throughout the show, she asked the audience to applaud for her dancing crew. When McRae ran off-stage for a costume change, her dancers took over, completely dominating the stage and keeping the crowd in high spirits — but the energy was maintained when they reconvened.

During “bloodonmyhands,” one of her dancers grabbed a camera to film for the big screen, which felt quite DIY for the polished stage show. For “Revolving Door,” McRae masterfully sang and danced between light-up doors, while an array of chairs was the focal point during “Sports Car,” which mimicked the act of sitting in a car.

An amalgamation of young and older fans, McRae’s audience matched the energy of the on-stage performers. During “Dear God,” everyone in the arena softly waved their arms back and forth, while fans lit up their screens in a green hue for “Greenlight” on the B-stage.

It was preceded by “Nostalgia,” — a feeling McRae said “freaks her out” — which elicited the crowd to put up their white lights. She rewarded the generous audience during “Run For The Hills” as she ran through the floor section.