Home | Songs By Year | Songs from 2021
That Way (Tate McRae song)
Buy That Way (Tate McRae song) now from AmazonFirst, read the Wikipedia article. Then, scroll down to see what other TopShelfReviews readers thought about the song. And once you've experienced the song, tell everyone what you thought about it.
Wikipedia article
"'That Way'" (stylized in all lowercase letters) is a song by Canadian singer Tate McRae, from her debut EP 'All the Things I Never Said' (2020). The song was written by McRae, Skyler Stonestreet, and Nick Monson and produced by Nick Monson. "That Way" is a minimalist piano ballad.
Background and release
McRae originally previewed first half of the song on YouTube in December 2019. The song was officially released alongside her EP on January 24, 2020. The song was written in late 2018 or early 2019, when McRae was in Grade 10. The song became a sleeper hit, performing moderately on its release but after going viral on TikTok in 2021, due to the lyric "friends don't look at friends that way", the song charted in the UK and Ireland, and was certified Gold in the US and Canada, and Silver in the UK. The song has attracted over 470,000 videos on TikTok combined, over 202 million views on TikTok on the official sound, and over 170 million streams on Spotify. A remix with Jeremy Zucker was released on September 3, 2021.
Composition and lyrics
The song narrates a friendship that becomes more than platonic, but both parties can't act on their mutual attraction for each other. McRae has noted that the song is based on a real experience and is about having a crush on someone you know you would never be with. The song was described by Ashley Osborn of 'Ones to Watch' as the sadder, more mature version of Taylor Swift's "You Belong with Me". Osborn remarked that the song expresses sentiments of deeper feelings for a friend matched by unclear signs, resulting in perplexing dejection. The song has also been described as using "heartbreakingly specific lyrics to describe a friendship that always comes tantalizingly close to taking the next step but never does, the friendship itself on life support as it hangs around in an awkward limbo."
Critical reception
Writing for 'Ones to Watch', Ashley Osborn remarks that the song is the perfect testament to McRae's incredible ability to express distinct moments of emotional strife through her unique thread of vocal performance. Music review site 'Ben's Beat' describes that the song as one of the most emotional tracks on the EP, noting that McRae's sorrowful vocals are mainly supported by muted percussion hits and slowly moving piano chords, but this suffices, due to the conviction and heartfelt emotion in the song.
Music video
The music video featured McRae dancing alone in a room lit with blue light, to her own choreography, in the contemporary dance style. McRae remarked of the video in a press release, "I have multiple sides to me; a lot of layers that people have not yet seen. My dancing is a huge part of my life, so I'm so glad I finally get to create movement to a song that's really personal to me."
Live performances
McRae performed the song on 'Late Night with Seth Meyers' on October 14, 2021.
Credits
Credits adapted from Tidal
* Tate McRae vocals, composer, lyricist
* Skyler Stonestreet composer, lyricist
* Nick Monson producer, composer, lyricist, engineer
* Dave Kutch mastering engineer
* Dave Cook mixing engineer
Charts
Certifications
References
Category:Singlechart usages for Ireland4
Category:Singlechart called without artist
Category:Singlechart called without song
Category:Singlechart usages for Sweden
Category:Singlechart usages for UK
Category:2021 singles
Category:2021 songs
Category:Tate McRae songs
Category:RCA Records singles
Category:Songs written by Tate McRae
Category:Songs written by Skyler Stonestreet
Category:Songs written by Nick Monson
Buy That Way (Tate McRae song) now from Amazon
<-- Return to songs from 2021