Tate McRae ‘Devoured’ Her Sultry, Hot ‘Sports Car’ Performance on ‘SNL’—Shop Her Hair Products Used

The pop star’s stage presence and energy must be studied.

Tate McRae / Cindy Ord/Getty Images

Tate McRae is in a league of her own. She’s not just a singer, not just a dancer—she’s an all-around pop powerhouse who moves with the precision of a trained athlete while making it all look impossibly effortless. And when she took the Saturday Night Live stage to perform “Sports car” from her new viral album So Close to What, she did what she does best: delivered a high-energy, visually captivating performance, choreographed by Robbie Blue, that left jaws on the floor.

Dressed in an ultra-cropped blazer and micro shorts set with a corpcore pinstripe design, the 21-year-old strutted onto the stage in her chic loafers and crew socks as if stepping into a high-stakes press conference. A team of male dancers in suits surrounded her, aggressively tossing microphones in her face, demanding answers. The “you broke me first” singer met the chaotic scene with unshakable composure, stepping from steel chair to steel chair with her signature sultry aura, balancing with ease before dropping into the splits.

As the beat kicked in, she was lifted into the air, only to break out into fluid, razor-sharp choreography.

And through it all, her vocals never wavered. The Canada native’s voice remained steady, her tempo exact and her breath control unreal. But let’s not forget another key player in McRae’s performance: her hair. Hairography is real.

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TikTok can’t stop obsessing over her “long, luscious” locks, and fans have been begging to know—are they real? While McRae does have individual keratin bond extensions from celebrity stylist Priscilla Valles, the secret to her flawless and impossibly sleek, pin-straight (yet still natural-looking) hair is Emi Jay. For her SNL look, Chad Wood used the brand’s Angelstick, Aura Hair Mist, Boar Bristle Brush, Halo Hair Oil and the best-selling Popstar clips for the perfect face-framing swoop. And just like that, Tate was ready to steal the show.

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Every flick, every dramatic head turn, every synchronized hair whip—it’s all precision, just like everything else she does. And yet, she makes it all look so easy. All we‘ve got to say is, don’t try this at home, kids.

“T8 is the resurgence of the POPSTAR - melody+choreography+vocals+swag,” one fan chimed in the comments on SNL’s IG post.

“THIS is entertainment !! What a f___ing PERFORMER !!!” Michael Anthony exclaimed.

“ate, devoured, and served. no questions asked,” another gushed.

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McRae’s rise to stardom hasn’t just been about her voice—it’s been about fighting to be seen as the multi-dimensional woman she is. In an industry that often tries to box musicians into a singular identity, she refuses to be put in one. She recalled being told by multiple labels when she was 14 and just entering the industry: “You have to be fully focused on music. No dancing allowed. We don’t want you to be that kind of artist.”

Now, with her Miss Possessive tour officially underway, McRae is proving just how powerful it is to embrace every side of herself. Her electrifying performances, packed with high-energy choreography and seamless transitions, are making headlines, while the So Close to What music videos have been just as impeccable.

“Music videos amplify the experience,” she shared, explaining that as a dancer, they’re essential to her brand—her way of showing how music feels and letting fans step inside her vision.

Tate McRae / Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images

McRae is a performer, in every sense of the word. “It’s been refreshing to be able to actually feel like myself again, as a singer,” she said.