Tate McRae May Be Entering Her Next Era, and Lollapalooza Had the Clues
by Chloe Avila | August 25th, 2026
Tate McRae, a globally known pop star, or as we pop girlies like to call our favorites, a pop princess, just headlined Lollapalooza 2026 for the first time on August 2nd. This 90-minute set has left fans’ jaws on the floor and may have just given the world a first glimpse into her next era, and if these theories are right, well, there’s a new deity to worship.
Taking the stage at Lollapalooza, McRae debuted an entirely new set that fans immediately noticed was completely different from previous performances. Gone was the giant yellow scaffolding for the Miss Possessive World Tour, and in its place was an architectural set that looked taken right from ancient Greece itself. This set was debuted the day before at the music festival Osheaga in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
As fans entered this new world that McRae had created, she and her dancers stormed the stage as a striking vision of contrast. McRae appeared dressed in a white corset and white low-rise flared pants, while her dancers wore all black. This created a very clear distinction between McRae and her dancers, setting her apart from the rest.
McRae’s Lollapalooza set felt more theatrical and intentional, including new choreography for “Tit for Tat,” which has taken TikTok hostage as people around the world try to perfect Tate’s “bodyroll.” The setlist featured her popular work, and even a mashup of “Trying on Shoes” and “feel like shit,” played live for the first time.
But the colossal moment came at the end.
McRae closed her set with “Sports Car,” and as the song came to an end, McRae walked up white steps where she proceeded to plunge herself into a pool of gold and struck the same pose she opened her set with, now dripping in gold as her dancers below bowed. Which had fans left wondering as to why she would start and end the show the same way, which had me thinking maybe McRae started the show as an ordinary mortal but ended up transformed into something closer to a goddess.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is where the search for TM4 clues and the endless research of theories began, for me at least.
While nothing about a new album has been officially confirmed or announced, fans have already started connecting the imagery McRae and her team showed to Greek mythology. Which had me all giddy, because what do you mean, two of my favorite things middle school me loved, music and Greek mythology, would be combined by a pop princess like Tate McRae? A lot of these theories were created by fans online, specifically a YouTube account, @misspossessive, and have been connected to the “dipped in gold” imagery.
The most obvious Greek mythology connection made by fans is the story of King Midas, whose famous “Midas touch” turned everything he touched into gold. McRae being transformed into a literal golden figure could symbolize wealth, luxury, or power. I also think this could be a hot take on how power, such as Midas’ golden touch, can make one feel starved, because according to the myth, Midas could not eat because of his gift. McRae could be making a statement about how with power comes a lot of great responsibility, rewards even, but it can leave one starving for normalcy.
Another speculation is that McRae may have been channeling her inner Aphrodite, the goddess of love, beauty, and desire. With the visual distinction in costume design, and her ending where McRae is elevated above dancers reaching toward her/bowing down to her, this staging could be interpreted as a golden idol being worshipped.
The topic of TM4’s album title has entered the chat. One fan, @waify_333, on YouTube, has predicted the album could be called The Mind, The Body, The Soul, in reference to the artwork and photography created by McRae’s team for Lollapalooza, which also looks like an ode to Da Vinci’s artwork on the anatomy of humans.
But I speculate that this new era of Tate McRae didn’t start at Lollapalooza or Osheaga but all the way back to her Grammy-nominated VMAs performance. McRae’s VMAs performance opened up with her walking through a gallery of her male dancers painted as gold statues.
In the end, nothing has been confirmed nor denied by McRae’s team, and this could be another case of what we fangirls do best: finding connections between every little detail. But can you blame us when pop princesses like Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, and so many more drop Easter eggs like they’re nothing?
As a concert, McRae’s set was confident, theatrical, and clearly designed to show an evolution in McRae’s artistry. Now, as a potential preview of TM4, it has left fans with excitement coursing through their veins. Whether she is actually building her next album around Greek mythology or simply trying to put on a performance fans would never forget, one thing is clear:
Tate McRae knows exactly just how to keep us watching.