‘TIT FOR TAT’ by Tate McRae: Is It About Kid Laroi? Lyrics Breakdown

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Find out how the pop star responded to her ex’s “A COLD PLAY”

Co-authored by Corey Andrew and Sophie Burkholder, BA

Last Updated: October 26, 2025 Fact Checked

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‘TIT FOR TAT’ Song Meaning

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Is it about Kid Laroi?

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Full Lyric Deep Dive

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Public Response

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Kid Laroi’s Response

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More Songs by Tate McRae

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Video

Another celebrity split and musical beef has landed…and we know that you’re greedy for the deets! After the release of Tate McRae’s song “TIT FOR TAT,” the internet is a aBLAZE with theories about the singer’s split with The Kid Laroi, the seeming diss track that he released, and how these two exes will continue to battle it out over the pop hits radio. We talked to pop culture commentator Corey Andrew to find out everything there is to know about the “Sports Car” singer and her latest hit single. You’re so close to all that and more…just keep reading!

What do Tate McRae’s ‘TIT FOR TAT’ lyrics mean?

Pop culture commentator Corey Andrew says that “TIT FOR TAT” feels like a diss-track response to her ex Laroi’s song “A COLD PLAY.” In TIT FOR TAT, Tate shares how she thought everything was good between them, but he’s now switching up the story—so she releases her response, challenging him to keep the feud alive.

Section 1 of 6:

What is ‘TIT FOR TAT’ by Tate McRae about?

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“TIT FOR TAT” is a breakup song about retaliation after a split. The phrase “tit for tat” is an English idiom that means to retaliate against someone in some way. For example, if someone talks badly about you behind your back, you might do the same to them—that’s tit for tat. In Tate’s song, she addresses an ex who seemingly released a song about her. In a meta lyrical twist, she’s presenting this song as her retaliation and response, singing, “let’s go song for song, let’s go back to back / Let’s go tit for tat, boy, you asked for that.”
- In other words, she’s making it clear that, if he decides to keep releasing songs about her or making things messy in the public sphere, she’ll do the same thing to make sure that her side of the story is heard.
- The song also reveals that her ex’s actions were a total shock to the singer (“Should’ve known you’d be the type to change”), and that she had even thought they might get back together eventually.
- Andrew says, “Any chance of reconciliation seems slim when she sings, ‘Thought I might love you again, see how I feel / Now that you’re actin’ like that, I never will.’”^{[1]
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  Expert Interview} The lyrics continue, “I was hearing sh*t I never thought you’d say / Could have picked it up exactly where we left it / Took our future off your plate.”
Meet the wikiHow Expert

Corey Andrew is a pop culture commentator who co-hosts the celebrity gossip podcast “Naughty but Nice.” Corey is also a stand-up comic and songwriter.

Section 2 of 6:

Is ‘TIT FOR TAT’ about The Kid Laroi?

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It’s likely that “TIT FOR TAT” is about The Kid Laroi, but it’s unconfirmed. According to Andrew, Tate's song “feels like a diss-track response” to Laroi’s “heartfelt breakup track ['A COLD PLAY'].” He says, “She may have taken offense to ‘A COLD PLAY,’ as if he were calling her out or subtly placing the blame on her for their breakup.”^{[2]
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- Tate herself hasn’t confirmed anything about the person who inspired the track—so, anything we say here is unsubstantiated!
- That said, there are quite a few clues that “TIT FOR TAT” is about McRae’s ex and his recent release, “A COLD PLAY.” Most notably, The Kid Laroi is Tate’s most recent ex, and “TIT FOR TAT” is the first song she’s released since their split.
- Multiple lyrics and aspects of the song seem to point to The Kid Laroi:
  - “Let's go song for song, let's go back to back.” This line implies that Tate is responding to another song written by another musician or songwriter.
  - “Fix your f***king self, kiss my a** for that.” This line seems to respond to the chorus of “A COLD PLAY,” which includes the lyrics, “But it's my fault for thinking I could / Fix you…It's really hard to accept the fact that I can't / Fix you.”
  - “TIT FOR TAT” is the stylized title of the song, and the first song that Tate’s released with an all-caps title. Which musician always capitalizes their song titles? You guessed it—The Kid Laroi!
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Laroi’s breakup song “A COLD PLAY” likely references Tate. In the track, Laroi seems to take aim at Tate and portray her in a negative light. For example, he sings, “Who was I to think that I could fix you, baby?”^{[3]
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- This all came as a huge surprise to fans of both McRae and The Kid Laroi, as neither had spoken (or sung) negatively about the other since their (at the time, unconfirmed) breakup.^{[4]
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- Andrew points out that "A COLD PLAY" seems to contain “a timely reference to Tate’s cover” of Coldplay's song “Fix You.”^{[5]
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“TIT FOR TAT” could be a PR stunt to help boost sales. “Perhaps ‘TIT FOR TAT’ is simply Tate McRae’s genuine response to The Kid Laroi’s ‘A COLD PLAY,’" muses Andrew. However, "I find it hard to ignore the calculated precision behind these releases," he says. “The overlap [between the two songs] created undeniable buzz, and buzz translates to numbers: streams, downloads, ticket sales, and more.”^{[6]
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- “When Laroi announced ‘A COLD PLAY’ on the same day McRae was heard sound-checking Coldplay’s ‘Fix You’ on her Miss Possessive Tour, fans immediately picked up on the synchronicity,” adds Andrew.^{[7]
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- “Adding fuel to the possible PR-stunt fire, McRae later liked Laroi’s Instagram post announcing the song,” Andrew points out. “We live in an era where online gestures from celebrities carry as much weight as full-blown interviews. These micro-moments shape public perception and keep their narratives alive.”^{[8]
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Section 3 of 6:

‘TIT FOR TAT’ Lyric Breakdown & Explanation

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In the chorus, Tate says her ex has ended their chances together. Opening with the chorus, Tate sings, “Thought I might love you again, see how I feel / Now that you're acting like that, I never will / Last night, she answered my call, it sealed the deal / Right now, I'm not even about you.” This implies that Tate was on good terms with her ex, even thinking that they might get back together at some point. However, now that she’s seen the way he’s switched up and is now releasing diss tracks about her, she’s second-guessing.^{[9]
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- Then, when another girl “answered [her] call,” which many interpret as Tate trying to call her ex, but a new girl picked up his phone, it “sealed the deal” that they were over. Now, Tate’s “not even about” him.
She says that the first day she met him “was a blessing” and that she “always took [his] side” when they were together. However, she’s disappointed by the fact that now, after they’ve broken up, he’s “tryna make it messy” even though she thought they “were good.” She goes on to sing, “I was hearing sh*t I never thought you'd say,” and explain that she didn’t even think they were done for good: “Could have picked it up exactly where we left it / Took our future off your plate.”^{[10]
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In the pre-chorus, Tate directly challenges her ex to “go tit for tat.” Cementing the theory that this song is about a fellow musician, Tate invites her ex to “go song for song,” “back for back,” and “tit for tat.” Not because she wanted it, but because he “asked for that” by releasing a song that talks badly about her, and now she’s asserting her right to defend herself and set the record straight. In another version of the pre-chorus later in the song, Tate sings, “Fix your f**king self, kiss my a** for that, which is seemingly in response to the claim on The Kid Laroi’s “A Cold Play” that he couldn’t “fix” his ex-girlfriend.^{[11]
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- Also in the pre-chorus, Tate implies that her ex’s new song isn’t even that good: “That’s the best you got, where’s the good one at?”
- Not to be messyyyy ourselves (😬), but it’s worth noting that “TIT FOR TAT” debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.^{[12]
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- Completely unrelatedly (😉), The Kid Laroi’s “A COLD PLAY” didn’t chart on the main Billboard Hot 100 chart…at all.
She sings that she “was nothing but respectful, and [he] know[s] that,” but that he’s now “changing up the narrative to write.” Leading into the next pre-chorus (where she invites him to go “tit for tat”), she says that she doesn’t even want to release this song, make things messy, and invite the public into their business, but she feels like she has no choice: “No, I can’t do this, you’re making me do this.”^{[13]
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Section 4 of 6:

How has the public responded to ‘TIT FOR TAT’?

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‘TIT FOR TAT’ was released on September 26th, 2025, to mostly positive reviews. After its unexpected release, the track quickly went viral as fans speculated that the song was about The Kid Laroi and his recent breakup with Tate McRae. Given that McRae’s song was a perceived “reply” to her ex’s unprompted diss-like song about her, most of the chatter around “TIT FOR TAT” has been positive. Fans have been largely supporting McRae, and the song debuted at No. 3 on the Hot 100—making it her best ever debut.^{[14]
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- “It’s as if every breakup now comes with the expectation of a new album—a cathartic release that allows artists to process their emotions and connect with fans on a deeply personal level,” says Andrew. "And if it sells more music, merchandise, etc., even better."^{[15]
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- The positive response is even clearer given that Taylor Swift—who is (pretty much inarguably) the world’s biggest pop star—went on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and shared that “TIT FOR TAT” is a “great new song” that she’s currently listening to at “full volume, over and over again on repeat.”^{[16]
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- The next day (October 7th, 2025), McRae reposted clips of Swift’s interview on her own Instagram story. She paired the clips with the caption “Oh my Godddddddddd 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹😭😭😭😭😭😭whaaaaaaaaaaat.”^{[17]
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Section 5 of 6:

How did The Kid Laroi respond to ‘TIT FOR TAT’?

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At the time of writing, The Kid Laroi hasn’t explicitly or publicly responded to Tate McRae’s (his ex-girlfriend) song “TIT FOR TAT.” That being said, McRae’s song—which is widely believed to be directed toward The Kid Laroi—only came out on September 26th, 2025. So, we’ll keep our eyes peeled for any new releases from either of these two pop star exes 👀

EXPERT TIP

Corey Andrew
Pop Culture Commentator
Corey Andrew is a pop culture commentator based in New York City, New York. Corey co-hosts the celebrity gossip podcast "Naughty but Nice" with Rob. He is also the former host and producer of "Motivational Mondays," a leadership podcast presented by the National Society of Leadership and Success, which ranked in the top 5% on Spotify. A respected voice in career readiness and leadership development, Corey teaches audiences how to turn their stories into personal brands that open doors to opportunity. He is represented by a leading literary agency. He is completing his debut book—a collection of the most valuable leadership lessons he's learned from interviews with figures such as Olympic legend Greg Louganis, Hint Water founder Kara Goldin, Food Network star Chef Robert Irvine, Peloton fitness leader Robin Arzón, Broadway icon Melba Moore, Admiral William H. McRaven, and more. He is a sought-after pop culture expert and a Grammy voting member who has appeared on NewsNation, FOX5 New York, Merit TV, and HLN, and has been quoted in Forbes.

Corey Andrew
Pop Culture Commentator

It’s fascinating to see artists using music to air out relationship grievances. From Justin and Britney to Taylor Swift’s well-documented history of turning heartbreak into chart-topping hits, this practice has evolved into a rite of passage for musicians. And if it sells more music or merchandise, even better.

Section 6 of 6:

More Songs by Tate McRae

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Other popular Tate McRae songs include “Greedy” and “Sports Car.” After a slow and steady start to her career, McRae has really burst onto the mainstream pop girl scene in the last couple of years. Her 2023 single, “Greedy,” became a global smash hit, quickly catapulting her to new heights. Along with “Greedy,” here are some other Tate tracks you should listen to now (and think later). We’ll tease some lyrics from each song, too!
- ‘Sports Car’ – I think you know what this is / I think you wanna uh / No, you ain't got no Mrs. / Oh, but you got a sports car
- ‘Exes’ – Kisses to my exes who don't give a sh*t about me / Kisses, kisses to the next ones who think they can live without me
- ‘You Broke Me First’ – Now suddenly you're asking for it back / Could you tell me, where'd you get the nerve? / Yeah, you could say you miss all that we had / But I don't really care how bad it hurts / When you broke me first
- ‘Revolving Door’ – But I keep comin' back like a revolvin' door / Say I couldn't want you less, but I just want you more
- ‘Just Keep Watching’ – Goes like this, start with the track / Eyes on me, arching my back / Just like this, here for the night / You ain't buying in? Just keep watching