Tate McRae Faces Backlash From Canadian Fans Following Team USA Winter Olympics Promo
The Calgary-born pop singer stars in the U.S. news network’s “Legendary February” campaign, representing America in advance of the Olympics opening ceremony on Feb. 6.
Tate McRae in NBCUniversal's "Legendary February" promo.
Tate McRae is helping American athletes prepare for the 2026 Olympics, and it's left some Canadian fans scratching their heads.
The Calgary-born, L.A.-based pop star is part of a new “Legendary February” campaign with NBCUniversal to prepare America for the 2026 Winter Olympics and Super Bowl LX.
In the promotional clips, McRae treks through the snowy Italian Alps and welcomes viewers while sporting a red ski suit. The Grammy-nominated singer spotlights the U.S. Figure Skating Team and shows love to U.S. skier Lindsay Vonn, before heading through the revolving door to set the stage for the Super Bowl on Feb. 8.
“Team USA? Aren’t you team Canada @tatemcrae?” media company Made in Canada pondered on X.
Similarly, one fan expressed disappointment for McRae’s lack of Canadian acknowledgment: “‘meet team usa’ tate my canadian princess u need to stand up… embrace ur albertan roots.”
McRae was more universal in her allegiances while sharing the video on Instagram: “go sports! 💋💋⛷️⛷️”
But the comments are less partisan. One user calls her “the very american Tate mcrae 🇨🇦,” while another says: “girl you’re canadian pls what is this.” Another follows the money: “When Canada couldn’t afford her for promo 😭” Similar comments appear on TikTok, like “Tate should be supporting her home country ???”
While McRae hails from Calgary, she moved to Los Angeles in 2020, when she was 17 — proving herself as one of today's biggest export artists. Six years later, the singer made the cross-country move to New York, telling Rolling Stone Canada that she felt “like a lost alien” in the west coast city.
Last year, McRae wrapped her highly successful Miss Possessive world tour — in support of her first chart-topping album So Close to What. During one of the show’s soundcheck sessions, she told fans that her hometown connection isn’t as strong since her move abroad. “Canada doesn't feel like home anymore, which is weird,” she shared. “Not like the country but just like Calgary, where I'm from, feels like a little less homey than LA.”
McRae, a major hockey fan, has also shown her love for Canada and how proud she is of her roots, often while playing the 2023 song "Calgary" from her smash album Think Later.
