Singer Tate McRae has addressed speculation about her political affiliations, particularly in the wake of her collaboration with country artist Morgan Wallen and her reported relationship with NHL player Jack Hughes.
McRae, 23, joined forces with Wallen for the song “What I Want,” which became her first No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The collaboration, however, led to McRae being branded a supporter of MAGA ideologies by some.
Further political conjecture arose due to her reported relationship with Jack Hughes. Hughes was part of the U.S. men's Olympic hockey team that received a congratulatory call from then-President Trump following their gold medal win. During the call, Hughes was observed laughing at a joke made by Trump, which, along with the team's subsequent White House visit, drew criticism from several media outlets.
When asked by Variety about navigating these conversations, McRae stated that her actions and the organizations she supports speak for themselves. She highlighted her past support for the Global Fund for Women and The Trevor Project, a nonprofit focused on suicide prevention for LGBTQ+ youth, through initiatives like promoting a "Little Miss Possessive" sweatshirt.
"I think it’s pretty obvious what kind of person I am and the things I support," McRae said. "And I hope that my fans can see that through the things that I’m putting my energy towards."
McRae also commented on the importance of maintaining privacy in her personal life, particularly concerning her relationships. "I try to keep my relationships as sacred and private as possible," she stated. "I love the people in my life. They love me. You just try to keep that circle as positive and supportive as possible."
She added that focusing on external speculation that she cannot control is detrimental. "And the outside noise, I can’t do anything about that. Focusing my energy on something that I can’t control, it just puts me in a bad mood."
Following the conclusion of her 88-stop "Miss Possessive" tour, which achieved over $100 million in gross revenue, McRae reflected on the demanding nature of the experience. She described feeling overwhelmed and emotionally drained, needing time to recover and regulate her nervous system. "I was so shot after the tour. I couldn’t really sleep at night. I’d seen so much of myself that I was like, ‘I want to go into a black room and not look in a mirror for six months.’"
McRae is currently working on her fourth studio album. She recently performed at Lollapalooza and is scheduled to headline the Osheaga Festival in Montreal, marking her first festival performance in her home country of Canada.
Reflecting on her career aspirations, McRae emphasized continuous growth and self-improvement. "There’s always thought about how you want your legacy to go down," she said. "For me, the way to do that is try to beat your last performance, try to beat your last song, try to grow, evolve, pick it apart, rip it apart, figure out what didn’t work, what I didn’t like about that performance, what I could have done better, why I was nervous, figure out how to not be nervous."
She concluded by stating, "I think the more you can master yourself and your performances, the better you get."