Tate McRae's Latest Release: Tit for Tat

I’ve had Tate McRae’s latest single, "Tit for Tat," on loop since it was released on Friday. The song is instantly addictive; from the drama-fueled, catchy lyrics to the late 2010s pop/trap vibes. It fits in well with her other music, like her 2025 album, So Close to What, and I’m sure it’ll be choreographed for her Miss Possessive Tour too.

Photo: Didier Messens/Getty Images

Rumors about Tate McRae and Kid Laroi’s break-up were flooding my feed last month, especially with the added drama at the VMAs. Many fans speculate that "Tit for Tat" is a direct confrontation, since it has many references to Kid Laroi’s release from earlier this month, "A Cold Play."

After overanalyzing the lyrics of both songs, I noticed many parallels between them. The most obvious is "Tit for Tat"'s pre-chorus: “Let’s go song for song/ Let’s go back to back,” which really hints towards her responding to Kid Laroi’s track. Tate McRae also references the chorus of "A Cold Play." While he sings “Fix you” she retaliates with “Fix your f–king self.” Kid Laroi's song also mentions her being ‘distant’ with “Now you takin' distance and it's hard to take,” which she responds to with “I was never as far away as you thought.”

In my opinion, the most important part of "Tit for Tat" is how Tate McRae shows up with confidence. Rather than giving in to heartbreak, she’s calling him out on his betrayal. The chorus specifically highlights that his actions killed any chances of them getting back together.

There’s also a sense of hope towards the end. In the outro, she swaps the chorus’s original line, “Now I’m not even about you” to “Now I’m partying without you.” Tate McRae knows that she’s better off without him and finds closure now that things have been addressed. 

Overall "Tit for Tat" was an amazing track, and I’m sure it’ll be stuck in my head for the rest of the month. I can’t wait to see what she does with this song on tour, and how her iconic, explosive stage presence takes it to the next level!