Billboard Women in Music 2026 Hitmaker Award recipient Tate McRae opens up about her artistic journey, songwriting process, and the raw vulnerability that drives her music. From her roots in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, to the global stage, Tate shares what it means to create songs that resonate deeply with listeners. She shares the inspiration behind her hit songs “Greedy,” “Tit For Tat” and “Sports Car,” the power of manifestation, and how her lyrics shape her reality, collaborating with Julia Michaels, Ryan Tedder, Amy Allen, and more!

Tate McRae: I want people to listen to my music and feel like the best, most elevated version of themselves. That’s what I approach in songwriting. I’m either honing in on my deepest vulnerabilities and insecurities or I’m dreaming as big as I can.

This award means a lot to me. Obviously, my true initial passion for all of this was writing, writing short stories or poetry, and starting it in my bedroom. Creating a career like this from back in my bedroom in Calgary, Alberta, is pretty crazy to me. Thinking about how much I’ve done means the world to me because I’m such a performer and dancer; it’s always nice to be recognized for the creation part of it, ’cause that’s all of it to me.

For me, a hit song is when all the puzzle pieces come together; when the song feels like the full story has been told, there’s nothing left to say, and no fine-tuning is needed. You can feel that in your chest, and the listener can feel that in their chest. The exact message comes across perfectly. That, to me, feels like a hit song.

You just have to think with the most extreme and open mind when you’re writing. I say put it all out on the table when you’re in the room. You don’t have to release it or put it out there, but I think it’s all about exhausting your emotions. That’s the most beautiful thing about songwriting: going to the farthest depth of what one person can think.

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