00:00Tate McRae is not Gen Z's Britney Spears, and here's why that's good news for both Tate and Britney fans alike.
00:06For those of you who don't know, Tate McRae is a former So You Think You Can Dance contestant turned pop star
00:11who really broke into the mainstream with her 2023 hit song Greedy.
00:15But the comparisons to Britney Spears really began because of Tate McRae's highly choreographed live performances.
00:21The two even interviewed each other in Gen V Magazine last year and sung each other's praises,
00:24so there's no beef between Tate McRae or Britney Spears.
00:27In fact, Tate has paid tribute to Britney a ton, including this look at the VMAs last year.
00:32Clearly, she enjoys the comparisons, and so does the PR machine behind her.
00:36But Gen Z and millennials seem to feel very differently about this debate.
00:40Some people are praising the comparisons, while others are more skeptical,
00:44claiming that younger audiences simply do not understand just how big Britney Spears was when she first came onto the scene.
00:50Plus, with the changing landscape of the music industry today,
00:53they believe that Tate McRae is simply not as omnipresent in the culture as Britney was in the early 2000s.
00:59My take on this discourse is that the whole concept of spiritual successors in pop music is insulting to both parties.
01:05It diminishes the creative abilities of the newer artist,
01:07while reducing the achievements of the artist who has been around longer,
01:10and also implying that they might be retired or over when that might not be the case.
01:15Tate McRae is not the new Britney Spears just because she can dance.
01:18Ariana Grande was not the new Mariah Carey just because she could sing high.
01:22And Lady Gaga was not the new Madonna just because she's theatrical.
01:25Those artists were able to be influenced by pop stars from previous generations while successfully charting their own paths.
01:31And who's to say that Tate McRae can't do the same? She's only 21.
01:34So no, Tate McRae is not the new Britney Spears,
01:37and it's not just because she isn't as big as Britney was,
01:40it's because she literally isn't her.
01:42And it would be best for everyone if we stopped leaning into those comparisons.
01:45Also, revolving door slaps. I don't make the rules.
Comments