A recent NBC Olympics commercial starring Canadian singer Tate McRae faced immediate criticism upon its release by both the singer and NBC on Wednesday. The ad depicts McRae on a snowy mountain, seeking assistance from an owl to travel to Milan for the opening ceremony to meet Team USA, rather than her home country’s Team Canada. The commercial highlights upcoming events such as America’s top skating competition and Lindsey Vonn’s return, followed by the Super Bowl 60. Additionally, the ad features McRae’s latest single, “Nobody’s Girl.”
The advertisement sparked disappointment among Canadians, who took to social media to express their disapproval of the Calgary-born singer endorsing the American team shortly after being named a top nominee at the Juno Awards, alongside Justin Bieber. Toronto-based sports content creator Jordan Cicchelli shared his sentiments on X, stating, “Tate McRae doing a promo for NBC and Team USA for the Olympics and not Canada has me a bit sad but okay.” The independent media company Made in Canada also questioned McRae’s decision to support Team USA.
Responding to the backlash, McRae posted an Instagram story featuring a childhood photo of herself holding a Canadian flag with the caption: “…y’all know I’m Canada down.” A discussion on Virgin Radio Toronto’s TikTok account raised questions about McRae’s choice to celebrate American athletes, suggesting a lack of national pride given that the Olympics were held in her hometown of Calgary.
While some fans expressed disappointment, others viewed the commercial as a positive career move for the singer. One fan on X wrote, “Tate McRae doing promo for the super bowl and the winter Olympics. oh the Canadian princess of pop is here.” CBC Music has reached out to McRae’s team for a response. Similar reactions arose in the past when British pop star Dua Lipa was featured in a separate NBC Olympics ad promoting American athletes.
