A twelve-year-old elite ballet dancer becomes a lockdown-era bedroom pop sensation, then reinvents herself again as a stadium-filling, choreography-heavy pop star, all before turning 23. This episode unpacks the architecture of Tate McRae’s career, from her competitive dance dominance to her viral YouTube songs and her rise on the global charts.

We trace her path through So You Think You Can Dance, her breakthrough single “You Broke Me First,” the pivot to upbeat dance pop with “Greedy,” and her first Billboard 200 number one album. We also look at the scrutiny that comes with global fame, including a high-profile relationship and an Olympic ad controversy that tested her Canadian identity.

• How elite dance discipline shaped Tate McRae’s emotional performance
• The bedroom pop era and “You Broke Me First” charting 38 weeks
• “Greedy” as the catalyst for her dance-pop reinvention
• So Close to What becoming her first US number one album
• The NBC Olympics ad backlash and defending her patriotism