McRae caught the attention of RCA Records in 2019 after her 2017 song "One Day" gained virality on YouTube and TikTok, preceding the release of her debut extended play, all the things i never said. McRae soon gained wider recognition after her 2020 single "You Broke Me First" became an international hit, peaking at number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100.
In 2021, McRae was the youngest musician featured on Forbes' 30 Under 30 list. Her second EP, too young to be sad, was the most streamed female EP of 2021 on Spotify. Her debut studio album, i used to think i could fly, was released on May 27, 2022. The album was met with positive reviews from critics, reached the top 10 in various countries, and entered at number thirteen on the US Billboard 200. Her 2023 single, "greedy" achieved further success on the chart, preceding the release of her second studio album, Think Later.
McRae has named Post Malone, The Weeknd, Khalid, Jessie Reyez, and Jeremy Zucker as her biggest musical influences. She cites Zendaya and Dua Lipa as all-around influences and has described both women as her biggest idols, noting that she looks up to them in all aspects of life. She has also named Bruno Mars, Madonna, Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, Ciara, Jennifer Lopez, and Justin Timberlake as inspirations for bringing dance into her performances while naming Taylor Swift, Julia Michaels, and Alec Benjamin as songwriting inspirations. Further, McRae has called herself a "huge fan" of Swift and described her as "one of the greatest songwriters." McRae has also expressed an admiration for Billie Eilish.
McRae has been described as "the teen dance star turned future pop idol" by i-D, "the new teen queen" by Notion, "Canada's answer to Billie Eilish" by Elle, and "one of pop's bright young hopes" by The Independent. She has also been noted for her honest lyrics, impressive vocals, and relatable music. Additionally, McRae has received considerable acclaim as a dancer, and has been praised by artist, dancer, and choreographer Paula Abdul who declared her a "gift from God", and choreographers such as Stacey Tookey and Blake McGrath both of whom stated that she's talented beyond her years, with the latter describing her as "one of the best dancers he has ever worked with" as well as two-time Emmy winner Travis Wall who has named her as one of his muses. Margaret Furher of Dance Spirit Magazine described her dancing as virtuosic both technically and artistically. As of December 2023, her YouTube channel has over 1.25 billion views and has gained over 6.7 billion career streams across all platforms.
happy face
Tate McRae Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wasn't surprised but still had nothing I could say to you
I'm sorry if I ever made you feel the way you do
Yeah, I know I know you better than your parents
I heard about 'em, you don't gotta be embarrassed
You go online 'cause that's where you can be the saddest
You've been acting careless
Now you put on a happy face
You need someone who's gonna stay
I know you're crushed under the weight
Wanna hold you up
Wanna hold you up
You keep things bottled up inside
I wish you'd give someone a try
You fell apart a million times
Wanna hold you up
Wanna hold you up
Before my heart gives out, mm
You're losing track of all the friends I know you used to have
Don't know what happened but the old you wasn't half as bad
I'm sorry no one sees what's going on inside your head
Yeah, I know I know you better than your parents
I heard about 'em, you don't gotta be embarrassed
You go online 'cause that's where you can be the saddest
You've been acting careless
Now you put on a happy face
You need someone who's gonna stay
I know you're crushed under the weight
Wanna hold you up
Wanna hold you up
You keep things bottled up inside
I wish you'd give someone a try
You fell apart a million times
Wanna hold you up
Wanna hold you up
Before my heart gives out
I know that you hate when I figure you out
You get so distant just so you can hear a sound
Swear that you've been gone but yet your body's still around
What are you doing now?
Now you put on a happy face
You need someone who's gonna stay
I know you're crushed under the weight
Wanna hold you up
Wanna hold you up
You keep things bottled up inside
I wish you'd give someone a try
You fell apart a million times
Wanna hold you up
Wanna hold you up
Before my heart gives out
The song "happy face" by Tate McRae delves into the subject of a person hiding their true feelings under a façade of happiness. The song's narrator has noticed this behavior in the person and is trying to reach out to them, asking them to share their feelings and for the opportunity to help them. The opening lyrics reveal the denial of feelings the person has towards others as the singer admits they are not surprised that they are being asked about hating them. The singer expresses their own sense of guilt for possibly contributing to the situation, telling the person that they are sorry for the way that they feel.
The singer further demonstrates their knowledge of the person by knowing them better than their parents do, pointing out that they can be happiest online where they feel free to express their sadness. The song suggests that the person has been struggling for a long time with keeping their emotions bottled up, which has resulted in their acting out carelessly. The singer urges them to open up and to stop pretending, offering to be the support they need to hold them up while they let go of their concerns.
Line by Line Meaning
I'd barely seen you when you asked me if I hated you
You inquired whether I disliked you almost immediately after we met
Wasn't surprised but still had nothing I could say to you
Although I anticipated that you might ask this, I was unsure how to respond
I'm sorry if I ever made you feel the way you do
I apologize if I contributed to the negative emotions you are experiencing
Yeah, I know I know you better than your parents
I understand you more intimately than even your own parents do
I heard about 'em, you don't gotta be embarrassed
I am aware of the situation and you don't need to feel ashamed
You go online 'cause that's where you can be the saddest
You express your sadness through online activities
You've been acting careless
I have noticed that you are behaving recklessly
Now you put on a happy face
You have begun to mask your true feelings with a cheerful facade
You need someone who's gonna stay
You require a person who will remain committed to you
I know you're crushed under the weight
I am aware that you are being burdened by difficult feelings or circumstances
Wanna hold you up
I would like to provide support to help alleviate the weight of your situation
You keep things bottled up inside
Rather than expressing your emotions, you are suppressing them internally
I wish you'd give someone a try
I hope you will open up to someone and give them a chance to understand and support you
You fell apart a million times
You have faced many emotional struggles and hardships
Before my heart gives out
I want to help you before my own emotional capacity reaches its limit
You're losing track of all the friends I know you used to have
You have started to drift away from many of the friends you once had
Don't know what happened but the old you wasn't half as bad
I don't understand the reasons for your current situation, but I remember a time when you were doing better
I'm sorry no one sees what's going on inside your head
I apologize that your thoughts and feelings are not being fully understood by those around you
I know that you hate when I figure you out
You dislike when I am able to discern your true emotions or thoughts
You get so distant just so you can hear a sound
You create distance in relationships to feel something or to hear yourself think
Swear that you've been gone but yet your body's still around
You feel disconnected or absent from yourself, but you are still physically present
What are you doing now?
I am curious about your current situation or activity
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Elijah Fox-Peck, Paul Daniel, Remy Gautreau, Tate Mcrae
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@xxxstarrybrainssxxx5637
Anyone else listening to this song, and trying there hardest not to cry...???
No one:
Just me, mk.... Cries because this song is relatable to me within ALL of my past relationships/friendships :(
I LOVE YOU SOOOOOO MUCH TATE YOUR SONGS HIT DIFFERENT THEN ANYONE ELSE'S SONGS THAT I LISTEN TOO don't get me wrong!!! :P
@carmen5104
"You fell apart a millon times" that personaly touched me...
@jugahsoreim7487
you don't get people like me don't lie i hate you so hate me im ugly and i can't think strait and i hate you hate me i hate you my happy face is my last defense
@janreynolds886
Yeah the whole song makes me feel like that
@tracy4075
same😔
@itsmeh9498
Yes same, no one understands
@tracy4075
@@itsmeh9498 l do
@aleflores3047
I love how all your songs are so relatable
@cassandra_0
yeahhh I really like her songs
I just did a cover of this, would you mind checking it out?
https://youtu.be/zGqY9ZS4pGc
@reggiediergaardt756
i ligit heard one of her songs last year in like august and ive been obsest with her songs since then
@bernardosanchez6785
Sameeee