The highly anticipated and teased—as it goes with most unreleased Tate Mcrae songs–new single ‘‘It’s ok I’m ok’’ is finally out with a jaw-dropping music video. The singer-songwriter had her fans on their toes for this song ever since its debut performance at Madison Square Garden on August 22nd on the last night of her ‘‘Think Later’’ tour.
From the performance that officially teased the new song to her fans, it was evident that this new era would be even more dance-packed than usual. The infamous dance break for ‘‘It’s ok I’m ok’’ from MSG had been going viral online before the song was even officially out.
Directed by Hannah Lux Davis (the director behind iconic music videos like Ariana Grande’s ‘‘thank u, next’’ and Doja Cat’s ‘‘Agora Hills’’), Mcrae’s latest video truly lived up to the expectations—as Mcrae told her fans in advance how spicy and bold this new era was.
The song talks about completely feeling indifferent toward an ex fling and not caring who gets him next—while also warning that he’s not as great as he might appear in the beginning of a relationship. The singer/songwriter recently revealed that the song was inspired by her own use of the phrase ‘‘It’s ok I’m ok’’ quite often in real life.
Lyrics:
You’re movin’ like I did / Before I found out / He ain’t just a pretty-faced talker / Good with his money, close to his mother / You’re seeing one-sided / You got him right now.
–
It’s okay, I’m okay, had him in the first place / It’s okay, I’m okay
But at last, Mcrae says ‘‘You can have him anyway’’. This era already feels different than the ‘‘THINK LATER’’ album where the songs had more of a ‘still trying to get over a past relationship’ feel —as the lyrics either described Mcrae struggling to stay away from an ex with songs like ‘‘stay done’’ and ‘‘run for the hills’’ or feeling some resentment towards certain situations as in ‘‘we’re not alike’’ or ‘‘grave’’. This song comes as a fresh chapter in terms of her musical persona but also shifts her attitude around as she’s officially onto the next.
However, Mcrae has said that she actually started working on ‘‘It’s ok I’m ok’’ before ‘‘THINK LATER’’ came out but had decided to put it on the shelf until now.
The video starts on a very pop and very Y2K note with Mcrae wearing an ‘‘I love me shirt’’ which many fans seem to believe was an homage to Britney Spears. As she starts off the video with a strut walk, we see her pass by a nude woman leaned against a cop car, getting arrested. We don’t think much of it, assuming Mcrae is just walking by a woman without her clothes on. But then comes the plot twist when it’s revealed that the woman getting arrested is also Tate Mcrae herself.
From that moment on, it’s obvious that this is indeed a new chapter for the ‘‘greedy’’ singer— one we haven’t seen yet, but in some ways saw coming. It’s fun to see Mcrae fully embracing her ‘Tatiana’ persona mixed in with the Britney Spears aura she radiates. If you’re not familiar with ‘‘Tatiana’’, she is Mcrae’s alter ego that represents her most confident and sassy side. Oftentimes Mcrae thinks of herself as shy and a bit of an introvert but mostly when she is on stage, Tatiana comes out. Her fans also join in on the joke with comments like ‘‘Oh, Tatiana definitely came out on this video’’.
The infamous dance break from MSG was certainly included in the video, though it could’ve been a bit more on the spotlight. At times it felt chaotic to see the dance routine due to editing and also Mcrae’s choreo being blocked by cars and scaffolding that were placed right in front of her and the dancers. This nitpicky criticism comes from a place of love for Mcrae’s choreography since the singer’s dancing is certainly her main it factor.
Based on fan reviews and reactions, everyone’s collective favorite part of the song remains to be the outro. Even Mcrae called it to be her favorite part of the song and said, ‘‘It’s like sassy emotional’’
When asked about being compared to Spears, Mcrae responded with “I think she’s one of the most incredible performers of the 2000s,’’ ‘‘I remember watching her as a kid. I feel very lucky that she’s seen my performances and knows my music.”
Like the song itself, the new Tate Mcrae is giving unbothered ‘‘it is what it is, was what it was’’ energy and it’ll be exciting to await what’s next on the popstar’s agenda.
Featured Image: Tate Mcrae/Instagram