After a fantastic night at the O2 Apollo in February watching Renee Rapp perform live, I was eager to go back. This time, it was for Tate McRae‘s THINK LATER world tour.
McRae’s career kickstarted when she was only 13 as a dancer, before self-releasing her first single at 14 years old. From there, she launched two studio albums i used to think i could fly (2022) and THINK LATER (2023) which debuted in the Top 10 and Top 5 respectively, in various countries worldwide. She stops in Manchester on her fourth tour.
On a sunny Wednesday evening, Daniella and I made our way over to the O2 Apollo. We picked up our tickets at the Box Office, which meant we could head straight into the stalls – a relief since the queue was longer than Renee Rapp’s.
Once inside, the vibes were set with some upbeat pop to prepare us for the opening act. They played everything from ‘Prada’ by D-Block Europe, Casso and Raye to ‘Keep Driving’ by Harry Styles and ‘Diet Mountain Dew’ by Lana del Rey. Whoever was on the tunes was clearly an avid TikTok user as they also played trending songs like ‘Unwritten’, ‘i like the way you kiss me’, and ‘Murder On The Dancefloor’ which had the audience singing along.
The opening act was American rapper charlieonnafriday who Dani said was a bit like The Kid Laroi (ironic, since I found out later that night that he and McRae are in a relationship). He performed hit songs including ‘Enough’, ‘I’m Not Crazy’, and his most recent release ‘When I’m Leavin”. We had a great time vibing to the music as charlieonnafriday hyped the audience up despite only performing a 30-minute set.
As Dani and I got our second round of overpriced Pepsi Max’s, charlieonnafriday asked if anyone had a “toxic or shitty ex” to which the crowd responded with cheers. He then passed the mic into the audience for someone to share their story, and they did not disappoint as they revealed how they got back together with their ex, who then cheated on them with their cousin. Wild.
After he ended his set, the audience fell back into a state of anticipation as we waited for McRae to take to the stage. There were the typical random screams of excitement periodically that made everyone turn their heads to the stage even though nothing was actually happening yet.
Then, the screen at the back of the stage lit up, flashing in black and white before her dancers ran on stage. The crowd cheered wildly but this was nothing compared to the screams of joy when Tate McRae appeared. Wearing an orangey-red jersey, knee-high black socks, and a gold cross necklace, McRae delivered her energetic single ‘think later’. Blue and white flashing lights, a wind machine, and the stellar choreography all added to the drama.
McRae went straight into ‘hurt my feelings’ and ‘uh oh’ which were truly impressive performances. Throughout the night, she never let the energy drop once even after singing and dancing to such upbeat songs. An undeniably enigmatic stage presence.
She then performed ‘what’s your problem?’ and ‘feel like shit’ from her first studio album – a throwback for diehard McRae fans. I loved ‘what’s your problem?’ and have repeatedly listened to it since the gig.
Continuing on this nostalgic journey, McRae took this opportunity to address the audience here and introduce the context of a song deeply personal to her: ‘calgary’. Named after her hometown, McRae explained how this song is about returning home and reverting to your 15-year-old self with all your old habits. Dani and I laughed that this will be us when we go home for the summer.
‘stay done’ ended up being one of my favourite performances of the night. McRae’s vocals were impressive. The stripped-back set with just McRae singing on an elevated block overlooking the stalls made her rendition even more moving. Like Olivia Rodrigo‘s ability to balance angsty rock with lyrical ballads, McRae can take you from heartfelt melodies to upbeat dance music in a second – a spectacular talent for a singer who’s clearly only just getting started with her music career.
From there, McRae brought us ‘messier’, ‘cut my hair’, ‘grave’, ‘guilty conscience’, and ‘we’re not alike’ from THINK LATER – all spectacular performances. The range of songs in this album is incredible, and this became even more apparent when listening to them live, not just through my headphones while walking down Oxford Road.
The guitarist then delivered a solo as long ropes similar to those around a boxing ring were strong across the stage. Fans would know that this was for her single ‘rubberband’, but it was exciting nonetheless. Fan-favourite ‘exes’ didn’t disappoint. The choreography was incredible, adding to the fun and tongue-in-cheek nature of the song. I’m not usually the biggest fan of backup dancers in live performances, but not only were they all insanely talented, but they also felt integral to McRae’s concert, like we were getting an insight into her world.
My favourite performance of the night was undoubtedly ‘she’s all i wanna be’. I was in awe of McRae’s vocals here and didn’t want the concert to end – buying a ticket would have been worth it for this song alone.
McRae finished the night off with ‘you broke me first’ and ‘run for the hills’ as well as an encore of ‘greedy’. All performances were amazing, and at this point, it wasn’t a surprise anymore – I could tell from the first number that McRae was a natural talent and pop icon of this generation.
The show was slick and bold – exactly what you’d expect from a singer of this calibre. It’s clear that McRae is a born performer and I can’t wait to see where her career takes her in upcoming years. Dare I say I’m waiting for some Grammys in her future?
