What Tate McRae's New Single "Revolving Door" Is Really About
The singer said the dance track was inspired by her life feeling "like a never-ending revolving door."
Tate McRae's life felt like a "Revolving Door." So much so that she wrote a song about it.
The Canadian pop queen just released her third studio album, So Close to What, on February 21, 2025. She dropped three singles — "It's OK I'm OK", "2 Hands", and "Sports Car" — leading up to the record's debut. And on the day So Close to What hit stores and streaming, McRae dropped a fourth single: "Revolving Door."
The mesmerizing dance track was highlighted by the New York Times, describing it as "moody, pulsating" with "a chorus that thumps like an anxious heartbeat."
What is Tate McRae's "Revolving Door" about?
In the chorus for "Revolving Door" McRae sings, "But I keep comin' back like a revolving door / Say I couldn't want you less, but I just want you more / So I keep comin' back like a revolving door." In a video interview with Billboard, McRae revealed how the song was inspired by her life feeling "like a never-ending revolving door."
"I just had this reoccurring theme that was going on in my life thinking the same thoughts, making the same choices, going back to the same people. My life just kind of felt like this never-ending revolving door," McRae told Billboard. "And a lot of the imagery for this album was like a never-ending road, a never-ending door because I felt like I was sometimes just going towards something where I could never see a finish line."
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"It was a really fun song to play with because I realized it was not only about a relationship, but it was also about me and my inability to make decisions, and me chasing this career that I was like, 'Oh, my God, what do I want out of this?'" she recalled. "And so you can kind of see in the bridge of the song, it goes from a relationship song to a fully introspective song about my personality and how I literally just can't make my mind up."
"Well, I'm a Cancer so..." McRae joked, referring to her July 1 birthday.
In the bridge for "Revolving Door," McRae sings: "Change my mind so much I can't find it / I work so much, can't be reminded / Life feels worse, but good with you in it / Supposed to be on stage, but f--k it, I need a minute."
Who wrote "Revolving Door" by Tate McRae?
McRae co-wrote "Revolving Door" with Julia Michaels and the song's producers, Ryan Tedder and Grant Boutin.
"This was such a magical process writing this album, and I am so happy it's out in the world," McRae wrote on Instagram. "Thank u to everyone who worked on this album w me I admire you all sooooo much."
Tate McRae explains what the "Revolving Door" music video represents
The music video for "Revolving Door" was directed by Aerin Moreno. The clip features McRae and four other dancers all serving incredible moves in a white room with 15 doors. Each door represents a track on the album, McRae explained in an Instagram post, where she called the video a "favorite" of hers.
"This video means so much to me. We put our blood, sweat, tears, and 11 hours in these pumps into this video," she wrote on Instagram, referring to the white heels she is wearing in the clip. The "Revolving Door" music video was released the same day as the single, February 21.
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Tate McRae is the Musical Guest for the March 1 episode of SNL
To celebrate the release of So Close to What, McRae will be the Musical Guest on the March 1 episode of Saturday Night Live hosted by Shane Gillis. In addition to SNL, she also appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on February 26 for her first late-night TV interview.
