.

.

TATE McRAE
‘Tit For Tat’
Single Review

(28th September 2025)

Review by Audrey Songvilay

.

.

Let’s go back to back.

Tate McRae’s new single TIT FOR TAT has fans convinced it’s aimed at former boyfriend, The Kid LAROI, turning their breakup into pop’s latest sparring match. The gossip fuels the fire, but the track itself burns brighter than the headlines.

The Canadian pop sensation has already taken the industry by storm. She first teased the song during her Miss Possessive Tour, with the letters “T4T” displaying across the screens.

Tit for tat – a phrase as old as grudges comes from the idea of equal retaliation: when someone takes, you take back. When someone wounds, you return the blow. The old saying goes, “let the punishment fit the crime.”

Think: oh, you hurt me? Watch this.

This song isn’t just petty revenge. It’s psychological warfare dressed in pop hooks. It’s the moment you stop trying to fix someone and finally throw their chaos back in their face.

A possible clap back to The Kid LAROI’s song “A COLD PLAY,” believed to be aimed at McRae,

“Fix you, fix you, fix you, wish I could
It’s really hard to accept the fact I can’t fix you now”

And then comes her refusal:

“Let’s go song for song, let’s go back to back
Fix your fu*king self, kiss my ass for that”

A diss track? Or a refusal to be responsible for someone else’s brokenness?

.

.

My initial thoughts, firstly were, wow this sounds like a Julia Michaels song. And there’s a reason for that. TIT FOR TAT was co-written by Grant Boutin, Julia Michaels, Ryan Tedder, and Tate McRae herself. Julia Michaels’s influence are everywhere, the raw honesty, the conversational cadence. Michaels has always been a master at making pain sound delicate, devastating, and unforgettable, and McRae carries this message.

“Thought I might love you again, I’ll see how I feel
Now that you’re acting like that, boy, I never will”

There’s a quiet devastation in these lines. It hints that McRae may have been willing to give this love another shot, only to have it undermined by the same behaviours that fractured it before. It’s cryptic, but you don’t need the details to understand the fatigue of waiting for someone who isn’t showing up for you the way you need. When love comes from a place that’s not secure or healthy, it doesn’t nurture, it drains. You bend, you hope, you forgive, and sometimes, what looks like kindness is actually a clever form of manipulation: soothing words without accountability, gestures without reflection. It’s exhausting. It’s soul-sapping. And eventually, the only way to survive it is to step away. And by then, they’ve already walked away.

“It’s a shame you out here tryna make it messy
Wow, you’re messy, damn
We wеre good, I thought we made it through thе ending
I was hearing sh*t I never thought you’d say
Could have picked it up exactly where we left it
Took our future off your plate”

Here lies the ache of wasted potential. Immaturity and ego can make people reckless. McRae does something different: she doesn’t just clap back; she reflects. She owns her side. And in that, there’s something healing.

“That looks like it really hurts
That bruise on your ego”

Ego. Isn’t that where so much destruction starts? Not betrayal, not absence, but pride, the kind that makes people act without thinking, manipulate under the guise of care, and leave others exhausted from emotional whiplash. You know it, Tate knows it and in TIT FOR TAT, you can hear it.

This song reminds us to stay soft when it’s easier to harden. To choose release over retaliation. To let the bruise on your ego remain just that, a bruise, not a wound that bleeds into who you’re becoming.

.

.

About Tate McRae:

Singer, songwriter, and dancer triple threat Tate McRae has garnered over 17.6 billion career streams, multiple #1 Top 40 hits, and a #1 album on the Billboard 200 chart. She has received numerous accolades, including Artist Of The Year at both the 2024 and 2025 JUNO Awards. Her honors also include two MTV VMAs and nominations for five Billboard Music Awards, multiple People’s Choice Awards, and iHeartRadio Music Awards, among others. Tate has been featured on Variety’s 2022 Power of Young Hollywood list, Billboard’s 21 Under 21 list for four consecutive years, and Forbes’ 2021 30 Under 30 list where she was the youngest musician included.

Tate’s #1 RIAA certified 5x Platinum single “you broke me first” has amassed over 2.5 billion streams since its release in 2020. Her debut album, i used to think i could fly, landed at #1 on Spotify’s Global Top Albums Debut Chart and reached the Top 10 in multiple countries. The Calgary native’s certified Platinum sophomore album, THINK LATER, catapulted her into pop stardom. Released in 2023, the album debuted at #4 on the Billboard album chart and features her certified 4x Platinum single “greedy,” which earned the star #1 on the Billboard Global 200 chart, Global Excl. US chart, Spotify’s Global chart, and Top 40 radio.

Earlier this year, Tate released her highly anticipated third album, So Close To What, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart. The stunning album features tracks “Revolving Door” and “It’s ok I’m ok,” both of which hit #1 on Billboard’s Hot Dance/Pop Songs chart.

Tate’s versatility as a performer has captivated audiences around the world. Whether delivering a powerful vocal performance or executing high-energy choreography, she brings a unique blend of artistry and authenticity to every stage. She’s currently on her global Miss Possessive Arena Tour spanning Europe, the UK, and North America.

.

.

Follow TATE McRAE
Official Website – YouTube
Instagram – Facebook – TikTok

.

.

Press Release 26th September 2025 (below) HERE

TATE McRAE
releases new song
‘TIT FOR TAT’

LISTEN HERE

CURRENTLY ON NORTH AMERICAN LEG OF SOLD-OUT ‘MISS POSSESSIVE’ ARENA TOUR

.

.

AMNPLIFY – DB