In an odd year for pop music — the official song of the summer has never felt flatter, fictional K-pop bands are ruling the Hot 100 and nostalgia-mining reunions appear to be the name of the game — Tate McRae has maintained her focus. By way of her tenacity, she’s also properly cemented herself as one of contemporary pop’s reigning princesses — and the Miss Possessive World Tour is nearly two hours of stone-cold proof. Launched in support of So Close to What, her first Billboard 200 chart-topper, the Miss Possessive Tour arrived less than six months after McRae’s last arena trek, which she built around her 2023 Think Later LP. For her latest outing, McRae upped the ante on all fronts, tapping choreography powerhouse Sean Bankhead to movement direct the show and incorporating her latest string of hits, including “Sports Car,” “2 Hands” and “Just Keep Watching.” On Wednesday night (Sept. 3), Swedish pop star Zara Larsson kicked things off with a hit-packed opening set that reminded American audiences of her talent, longevity, and stamina. Shortly after, McRae strutted onto the stage to the opening notes of “Miss Possessive,” the opening track from So Close to What. Rocking a white two-piece ensemble with her blonde locks flowing behind her like a true student of Beyoncé, McRae ripped through her headlining set with professional finesse that she tempered with small glimpses into the 22-year-old underneath the glitz and glamour who’s just living out her wildest dreams. Though So Close to What anchored the setlist, the Canadian pop powerhouse made sure to show love to her entire catalog, pulling out a keyboard and a B-stage for her moodier, early breakthrough cuts like “You Broke Me First.” Closing things out with a knockout one-two punch of “Sports Car” and “Greedy,” Tate McRae dazzled Madison Square Garden on her first of three nights at the iconic NYC arena on her latest tour. Here are the five best moments of Tate McRae’s Miss Possessive Tour. “Blood on My Hands” Selfie Moment During the penultimate act of the show, Tate and her dancers marched off stage and into the crowd to execute simple hand choreography — and take a massive group selfie — with legions of adoring fans. Nearly every fan in the arena came dressed in one of three Tate-approved fashion aesthetics (leopard print booty shorts, purple lace bras and hockey jerseys), which made the selfie moment a real-time documentation of Tate’s impact on Top 40’s newest and youngest listeners. MSG Exclusives For VIP soundcheck, Tate normally peforms one song for a few lucky fans before a Q&A session. For the first Madison Square Garden show of the Miss Possessive Tour, she treated those fans to a somber cover of Noah Kahan’s “Stick Season.” What’s more? For some MSG-exclusive merch, Tate opted for a hockey jersey (MSG is the home of the Rangers, after all!) that read, “We could go again like two, three, four times,” a “Sports Car” nod that also doubled as an easter egg. By the end of the Miss Possessive Tour, Tate will have headlined MSG four times across her career so far. Zara Larsson Nails Opening Set With hits like “Symphony,” “Lush Life,” “Ain’t My Fault” and “Never Forget You,” Zara Larsson has been a fixture in global pop music for years. After her opening set on the Miss Possessive Tour, the Swedish pop princess’ Stateside domination seems all but certain. A charismatic performer who studied intensely at the University of Beyoncé — every high-octane dance break was punctuated by a show-stopping belt or riff — Larsson tore through her half-hour set, which included a cover of Britney Spears’ timeless “Gimme More.” The main moment, however, was her now-viral rendition of “Midnight Sun,” the title track from her forthcoming fifth studio album, which is due Sept. 26 via Epic Records and Sommer House. The dance-pop banger is addictive on its own, but with Zara’s stunning live vocals and inventive staging (check out her nailing the song’s first chorus while being hoisted in the air by her dancers), “Midnight Sun” morphed into an all-out end-of-summer anthem. The Stage Of course, Tate McRae can work virtually any stage, but the Miss Possessive Tour stage gave her ample room to maximize her visual storytelling throughout the night. She danced atop an elevated platform to kick off the show, before taking the stairs down to the main stage, which featured a slightly downhill ramp that gave way to a runway that hosted several sultry catwalks from both Tate herself and her impressive backup dancers. At the end of the runway was yet another platform, which eventually split into five sections that each elevated to a pyramid position, adding more height dimension to the overall presentation. Tate McRae performs at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY, on September 3, 2025. Beth Saravo Though the stage décor was sparse, Tate made up for that with how she maneuvered and utilized the scaffolding of the different platforms. Several on-stage cameramen followed her around with handhelds, ensuring music video-esque visuals for the larger arena whenever the stage structures blocked her from view. Finally, the smaller B-stage on the opposite end of the arena granted the crowd a small pocket of intimacy during a night that packed on the bombast. Sean Bankhead’s Choreography Dazzles Under the ambitious eye of Sean Bankhead, one of contemporary music’s most sought-after choreographers, Tate and her dancers absolutely shut down the stage at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night. With choreography that featured pirouettes (a not-so-subtle nod to Tate’s professional dance background), a “Revolving Door”-soundtracked catwalk moment that recalled Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour ball section, Y2K hip-hop moves, ample hairography and a pole dancing routine, Tate effortlessly shifted through several styles of dance, never losing momentum or energy. Just as impressively, her dancers seamlessly transitioned between masculine and feminine approaches to the choreography, reminding the arena that pop stardom is truly a state of mind. Tate McRae performs at Madison Square Garden
