It was the crossover nobody—and yet somehow everybody—saw coming. When two of the biggest Gen Z pop stars on the planet start wearing each other’s clothes and appearing in the background of the same TikToks, the internet doesn't just notice; it combusts. Tate McRae and The Kid LAROI weren't just another celebrity couple; they were a power pairing of Canadian pop precision and Australian rap-rooted grit.
They were it. Until they weren't.
If you’ve been following the breadcrumbs, you know the timeline is a messy, beautiful, and eventually heartbreaking blur of tour dates and Instagram Stories. It started with a shirt. Specifically, a mirror selfie Tate posted in early 2024 where she was wearing a button-down that looked suspiciously like one LAROI had been spotted in. The comments section went nuclear. Then came the dinner dates at Giorgio Baldi and the hand-holding at the NHL All-Star Game.
By the time LAROI called her his "girlfriend" on stage in Dublin in April 2024, it was official. But as we’ve learned from the releases of early 2026, the "official" part was the easy bit.
The "I Know Love" Era and the Turning Point
For a while there, it looked like they were going the distance. They weren't just dating; they were collaborating. In February 2025, Tate dropped her third studio album, So Close to What, and tucked away on the tracklist was a duet titled "I Know Love."
It’s a vulnerable, bass-heavy track where they basically tell the story of how they went from "acquaintances with awkward encounters" to being deeply in love. LAROI even has a line about falling for her during a trip to Mexico. During an interview on The Tonight Show, Tate admitted that singing "for real" in front of him was actually terrifying because they usually just "fake-sang" to be goofy around the house.
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But then, the vibes shifted.
The summer of 2025 was supposed to be a victory lap. Tate was on her Miss Possessive Tour, and LAROI was prepping his next move. Instead, fans noticed a chill in the air. When Tate celebrated her 22nd birthday on a yacht in Saint-Tropez in July 2025, LAROI was notably absent.
The Breakup: From X Posts to "Before I Forget"
The confirmation of the split didn't come via a polished PR statement. It came through a screenshot of a text message. In late July 2025, after rumors swirled that LAROI’s team was paying for "slander" tweets against Tate, LAROI took to X to shut it down.
He posted a screenshot of a conversation with his reps where he said, "Tate and I are on good terms and this just looks messy / whack." That "good terms" phrasing was the nail in the coffin. You don't say you're on "good terms" with someone you're still dating.
Now, in January 2026, we’re finally getting the full emotional fallout. LAROI’s new album, Before I Forget, is essentially a post-mortem of their year-and-a-half-long relationship. He doesn't hold back. On the track "July," he literally sings about the night they ended things: "Playing back the night in July is when I held you for the last time."
Decoding the Song-for-Song Battle
If you think the drama ended with a text, you haven't been listening to the lyrics. The back-and-forth between Tate McRae and The Kid LAROI has turned into a high-stakes musical tennis match.
- LAROI'S "A COLD PLAY": Released in September 2025, he repeats the line, "It's my fault for thinking I could fix you."
- TATE'S "TIT FOR TAT": Released just weeks later, Tate came out swinging. The title is in all caps (a classic LAROI aesthetic), and she directly addresses the "fix you" narrative. She sings, "Let’s go song for song... fix your f***ing self, kiss my ass for that."
- LAROI'S "PRIVATE": On his 2026 album, he questions if the relationship failed because they let too many people in. He sings about the "fair" and "unfair" pressure Tate faced as a female artist in the spotlight.
Honestly, it’s refreshing. Usually, celebrities give us "we've decided to move forward as friends." These two gave us art.
Why the Public Obsession Matters
In a recent Rolling Stone cover story, Tate opened up about how "scary and overwhelming" the scrutiny was. She’s right. When you’re 22 and your breakup is being analyzed by millions of people on TikTok, it changes how you process grief.
She mentioned that while the public thinks they know everything, "no one knows the full story of anything, ever." There were rumors of PR stunts and "management requests," but if you listen to the raw vocals on "I Know Love" or the heartbreak in Before I Forget, it’s hard to argue it wasn't real.
They were two kids from different sides of the world who found someone who understood the weird, specific pressure of being a global pop star. That kind of bond doesn't just evaporate because a tour schedule gets busy.
What to Do Next
If you’re still reeling from the Tate McRae and The Kid LAROI split, the best way to understand the nuance is to listen to the "trilogy" of tracks they've left behind.
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- Listen to "I Know Love" to hear what they sounded like when things were perfect.
- Stream Before I Forget (specifically the tracks "July" and "Me + You") for LAROI's side of the heartbreak.
- Watch the "TIT FOR TAT" music video to see Tate reclaiming her narrative.
While they may be on "good terms" now, their music remains the most honest record of what actually went down between them. Keep an eye on Tate’s upcoming festival dates; she’s officially replaced their duet in her setlist, signaling that she’s well and truly moved on to her next era.