"I'm just hearing about you now”: Tate McRae gets roasted online after reacting to rumors about being an "industry plant" following SNL debut

Tate McRae, the Canadian singer and dancer, recently opened up about the new musical direction for her latest album Think Later. She responded to claims that suggested she is an industry plant in an interview with Variety on December 8, 2023.

According to Urban Dictionary, an industry plant is an artist who is already signed with or backed up by a major label but pretends to be a "homegrown start-up" label to start a pseudo-authentic following. McRae said in the interview:

"My true fans knew I danced, but it was finally for the first time like, is she an industry plant? I’m like, I’ve been grinding since 13 years old! I’m probably the furthest thing from an industry plant for how long I’ve been doing this."

Netizen quips about McRae's response to industry plant claim. (Images via X/@PopCrave)

Her single Greedy from the Think Later album was released on September 15, 2023, and spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Global 200, as per Billboard.

The rise in popularity of the now-TikTok sensation created a divide between her fans and mainstream netizens. Some people have begun roasting the artist for her supposed new fame.

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Tate McRae responds to accusation of being an 'industry plant' and talks about new music

Tate McRae is a young, up-and-coming singer-songwriter, born on July 1, 2003. She rose to fame at the age of 13 as the first Canadian finalist on the American reality TV show So You Think You Can Dance.

She began her musical career by posting original songs on YouTube as part of her “Create With Tate” series in 2017.

After Tate McRae's video for her first song One Day gained over 40 million views to date, she was signed with RCA Records in 2019.

In 2020 her song You Broke Me First, became one of the go-to songs for TikTokers and it now tallies 1.2 billion streams on Spotify, according to Rolling Stone.

Three years later, she released the video for Exes on November 16, 2023, and netizens online wondered who the girl whipping her hair and hitting that choreography in a bathroom is, according to the Variety interview posted on December 8.

By the time Exes came out, Greedy had already become her most successful song to date. Her first top 10 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, Greedy, reached the No. 7 position, as per the outlet.

Although netizens were skeptical of Tate McRae's talents as she had gained most of her popularity through TikTok, they were reportedly proven wrong through her live performances, as per NME.

She performed it all in real-time on Saturday Night Live on November 18, and a day later, at the Billboard Music Awards.

In the Variety interview, Tate McRae opened up about netizens calling her an Industry Plant by pointing out that she has been in the industry since she was 13. Many people quipped about just finding out who the singer is, while some spoke in her support. Some of the reactions are given below.

Netizens react to Tate's response. (Images via X/PopCrave)

The singer also spoke about the musical direction of her new album Think Later. She said:

"I was like, god, writing sad songs and being depressing, no one has ever seen a different side of me. All they’ve seen is victim, depressed Tate. Sometimes you grow up and things change and I got bored of it. So I’m like, I want to switch this up, but it feels perfect because I think it’s fun to take a jab at yourself sometimes and your older self."

Tate McRae has not reacted to the backlash she has received for denying to be an Industry Plant.