Music news: Tate McRae turns to gold during Lollapalooza headline debut
Tate McRae ended her first Lollapalooza headline set with a golden finale that left fans talking long after she left the stage, writes Music News Blitz’s Zinhle Radebe.
Closing her 90-minute performance in Chicago on Sunday, 2 August, the Canadian pop star stepped into a pool of shimmering gold paint during the final moments of “Sports Car” before emerging moments later covered from head to toe.
Clips of the performance quickly spread across social media, with fans calling the dramatic finale one of the weekend's standout moments.
A milestone weekend
McRae made her Lollapalooza headlining debut on Sunday after previously performing at the Chicago festival in earlier years.
The show came just one night after she headlined Montreal's Osheaga Festival, completing back-to-back headline performances across two of North America's biggest music festivals.
Speaking to the crowd in Montreal, McRae said returning home made the occasion even more meaningful.
"I'm so f**ing excited to be back home," she told fans.
"Montreal, in my opinion, has always been one of the loudest crowds on tour. And y'all know I'm Canada down."
The weekend also gave fans their first live performances of several tracks from her 2025 album So Close to What, including “Tit for Tat,” “Dear God” and “Anything But Love.”
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A golden finish
After a series of white outfit changes, McRae returned in a white bralette and matching shorts before walking barefoot up a staircase and lowering herself into a pool of shimmering gold paint.
She remained beneath the surface for a few seconds before emerging covered in gold as fireworks lit up the Chicago sky.
The “Greedy” singer then got to her feet, rubbed the gold paint across her body while standing on a podium and struck a pose with her arms raised before bringing the performance to a close.
Fans shared their shocked reactions on social media.
"This is iconic," one TikTok user wrote.
"I don't really check for her, but this is so creative and different from what all the other girls are doing!" another fan commented.
A third joked, "Was that gold cold? She looks like she's freezing!"
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The clues keep coming
The festival performances have also fuelled speculation that McRae may be preparing her next musical chapter.
Days before taking the stage, she refreshed her social media with a minimalist new look and shared new promotional images.
Posters spotted around Chicago also caught fans' attention, with many pointing to the numbers "10 1" as a possible clue to an October announcement.
In a recent interview with TIME, McRae admitted that performing in front of huge crowds is where she feels most at home.
"It's so ironic that in front of 20,000 people I have way less fear than sitting in a small room," she said.
"I feel safe on stage, and I feel like this is my moment, where I can take it as far as I want.
McRae has not commented on the speculation, and her representatives have declined to confirm whether new music is on the way.
For now, McRae has left fans with plenty to talk about and even more to speculate about.
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