Bathed in bursts of CO2 and pyrotechnics, McRae opened with “Miss Possessive,” her silhouette sharp against the fog. Her fit was pared-back—all clean lines and skin—a blank canvas for the choreography to land harder, paired with shades that still threw up a wall: watch, don’t touch. There was no preamble, and by the track’s chorus, McRae had fully inhabited the music, her movements crisp and instinctive. It was a marked shift from her 2022 show at the 1280-cap Vogue Theatre: less up-and-comer, more headliner with a hunger to entertain.

A short B-stage detour brought out the career-defining teen angst of “You Broke Me First” and “that way,” but the rest of the set refused to look back—just confidence, precision, and forward-thinking, pop-star dramatics. McRae’s been floated as a kind of Gen Z Britney Spears—a dancer-first pop act who treats the stage like a second language. And while the jury’s still out on legacy, this set certainly made a compelling argument, spotlighting her command over Y2K-referential cuts like “Sports car” and “It’s ok I’m ok” that feel both reverent and alive.

Opener Zara Larsson slid in effortlessly, serving up her own glossy take on early-2000s pop—complete with a cover of none other than Spears’ 2007 smash “Gimme More.” Her set was a kinetic breach of silky choreography and shimmering hooks, a perfect appetizer that teased the night’s nostalgia-reliant tendencies without ever tipping into imitation. Larsson’s confident command of the stage not only set the mood, but also deftly bridged past and present with powerhouse performances of her mega-hits “Never Forget You” and “Lush Life,” alongside vibrant new singles “Midnight Sun” and “Pretty Ugly.”

Tate McRae isn’t rewriting pop history yet—she’s still figuring out which parts to keep and which to discard. Her Miss Possessive Tour stops in Vancouver felt like a deliberate exercise in homage and self-discovery, a young artist unpacking the weight of pop’s legacy while simultaneously finding her footing. There’s certainly promise in the performance, but the full bloom is still to come. For now, she’s both student and contender—deliberate, considered, and aware that pop’s history is never just nostalgia; it’s the foundation she’s still learning to build upon.