Tate McRae is a big supporter of strong female friendships — and her bond with Olivia Rodrigo is no exception.
“I love Olivia. I love all my girlfriends,” McRae, 21, exclusively reveals in the latest issue of Us Weekly, noting that people “think way harder into things than we do” and try to read into any interaction between the musicians.
The “Greedy” singer confesses that she and Rodrigo, 21, have always been each other’s cheerleaders, not rivals.
“We’re just friends who like to sing,” McRae says. “We’re all supporting each other and want to go to each other’s concerts and want to listen to each other’s music.”
She explains, “There’s not much beef outside of that. I think people try to make up things that are never true and we just think it’s hilarious.”
When push comes to shove, the Canadian musician tells Us she thinks it’s “sick when we can just all do our own thing and love each other’s stuff.” McRae adds, “You don’t have to overthink it any more than that.”
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McRae and Rodrigo’s friendship has been making headlines since 2023 when McRae appeared in Rodrigo’s “bad idea, right?” music video alongside their mutual friends Iris Apatow and Madison Hu.
“<333 the gals,” McRae captioned a behind-the-scenes selfie of her girl squad in August 2023 filming the music video.
McRae and Rodrigo have since been slaying the stage on their Think Later World Tour and GUTS World Tour, respectively. Their hectic schedules make it hard to keep in touch, according to McRae, who has been trying to find her rhythm as a performer and an attentive friend.
“It is tough just [because] I’m the worst texter of all time. [I] cannot pick up my phone to respond to anyone, so that makes it tough,” McRae confesses. “I’m just so much better in person. My friendships are so strong in person and online.”
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She jokes, “I’m just absolutely tragic. So I think it’s just [about] making sure to plan to see your friends when you get back” into town. McRae adds that “everything’s fine” with her pals once they finally connect, even if that means talking over the “occasional FaceTime call.”
When it comes to romantic connections, McRae tells Us that she’s “never really been too public with my relationships.”
She points to her drive for success as a factor for keeping romances on the backburner. “I think mostly because the priority for me has always been the music,” McRae explains. “I’m here to just release music and dance and do what I love, and I think the rest of the stuff isn’t that important.”
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In addition to maintaining her friendships on tour, McRae has recently revived her appearance in the way of upgrading her smile. The singer teamed up with Invisalign to better her smile and her confidence on stage.
“Invisalign saved my smile completely. Using the Invisalign aligners has completely changed my confidence, and I feel really grateful to be able to work with them,” she says of the dental company. “I think being someone who used to be super insecure about my smile and my teeth, I think I just feel like a whole different person now that my teeth feel straight, and I feel so much better about myself.”
Watch the exclusive video above for more info on McRae’s friendship with Rodrigo — and pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands now.
With reporting by Christina Garibaldi
