Tate McRae and The Kid Laroi are going “Tit for Tat.”
Following their split this past summer, Laroi released the pointed breakup track “A Cold Play” in early September—and today, just weeks later, McRae has dropped her first single since the split, and fans are convinced it’s a direct response.
From the title alone, “Tit for Tat” suggests revenge, but it’s the lyrics that have everyone talking. On “A Cold Play,” Laroi frames himself as the heartbroken ex still longing for McRae: “I still love you, that’s how I feel at my core / Flew different states to come see you in between tour / I gave you everything I had and even more.”
McRae shuts down his advances immediately on her track: “Thought I might love you again, see how I feel / today that you’re acting like that, I never will / Last night, she answered my call, it sealed the offer / Right today, I’m not even about you.” She also counters Laroi’s line about distance—“today you takin’ distance and it’s hard to take”—with her own lyric, “I was never as far away as you thought.”
The pre-chorus packs the biggest punch: “Fix your f***ing self, kiss my a** for that.” It reads as a sharp retort to Laroi’s “It’s my fault for thinking I could fix you” from “A Cold Play.” McRae confirmed the timeline, sharing on Instagram that she wrote “Tit for Tat” just two weeks ago, mere days after Laroi’s song dropped.
Fans have been piecing together the musical conversation for weeks. Laroi’s September 5 release of “A Cold Play”—a stripped-down ballad produced by KBeazy—sparked speculation immediately. The singer confesses: “I hope you know you were appreciated / Around my house, I still got up all of our pictures, baby… / I still love you, that’s how I feel at my core.” Many noted the coincidental timing of McRae performing Coldplay’s “Fix You” during her Miss Possessive Tour soundcheck, along with her liking Laroi’s Instagram post announcing the single.
Their relationship, which began as a friendship before turning romantic in January 2024, ended in July 2025. Laroi, whose real name is Charlton Kenneth Jeffrey Howard, confirmed in August that the split was amicable. McRae had previously reflected on their beginnings in a November 2024 interview: “We honestly weren’t the closest of friends… And then something just clicked.”
today, fans are waiting to see if this musical dialogue between McRae and Laroi will continue.
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