“Sad girl bit got a little boring.”

Tate McRae says in her song “cut my hair,” her era shift is depicted in these words.

Have you ever thought about why women in music are pressured to create new eras for each of their projects and then are subsequently defined by them? The best way to explain it is that a girl can’t wear the same dress to two different events.

Women in the music industry have to constantly evolve through each album release to feed into the overall music machine. Not only do record labels expect each album to feel new, but audiences do as well. Staying in the same lane musically is often framed as “boring” or “stagnant.” Many female artists don’t change their sound or look for the fun of it; they change to adapt and stay relevant in an industry where there is constant movement. You can be in one day and out the next.

Tate McRae is an example of an artist who has moved across eras. Her two EPs, All the Things I Never Said and Too Young to Be Sad, are both part of the same era as her first studio album, I Used to Think I Could Fly. Her first album is about a young girl navigating teenage love. The album explores themes such as growing up too fast, heartbreak, overthinking, insecurity, and anxiety. It is as though the songs are coming from Tate’s diary. The production is softer, moody, and not flashy. During that era, McRae proved to the world she’s not just a dancer who created a viral song but a raw and emotional storyteller.

After establishing her identity as a songwriter, we see her enter an era in which she leans into her confidence following a breakup. This era began with the release of her album Think Later. This portrayed her in a very different way from her previous album. This was her confidence era. In Think Later, we see McRae go from insecure to self-confident. Instead of being anxious and stressed about things, she lets those things go. Leading to a version of herself that is more confident, bold, and acts on impulse. In this album and era, she becomes the main character. Since the album is about her ex-boyfriend, who is a hockey player. You can see the hockey and sporty influences in the project’s visuals and aesthetics. Further putting her into a confident, bold, and confrontational era.

For performances, she wore hockey jerseys, boxer shorts, and tops with jersey numbers. For her song “exes,” she filmed at a boxing rink, showcasing her athleticism and her return to her dance roots. Even fans got involved, wearing hockey jerseys and other sporty attire at her concerts, fully embracing this era’s vibe. 

With her latest album, So Close to What, she has less of a filter. She’s not the playful girl anymore, as her old songs showed. She is much more confrontational, explicitly stating what she’s doing and what she wants. Overall, the production is the same, but McRae herself plays with a slightly darker look. The messaging for this album and era weaves a mix of themes throughout the songs. There’s a complicated and toxic relationship involved. Wanting to go back to an ex who you know is bad for you, like in “Revolving door.” Memory and regret are shown in the song “Nostalgia.” She steps back into her confident side with “Miss Possessive,” “It’s ok I’m ok,” and “Sports car.”

After continuous evolution, I’m curious to see which era she’ll step into next.