2 Hands

Album: So Close to What (2024)
Charted: 8 41
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Songfacts®:

  • If there's a musical tradition as enduring as serenading a lover under a moonlit balcony, it's the don't even think about touching me unless you've earned it anthem. But with Tate McRae's "2 Hands," we find a full-throttle U-turn from this trope. McRae skips the coyness, sweet talk, and wooing altogether - what she wants, in no uncertain terms, is action. Just your two hands. At all times. No exceptions.
  • McRae throws down her manifesto: she's not interested in whispered promises or florid declarations of love. Words? Overrated. Fancy gifts? Hard pass. What matters to her is direct, tactile connection, the kind where hesitation is not on the menu.

    McRae is unapologetically clear about her desires - bedroom honesty, so to speak. She spells it out in the chorus with bold simplicity, her repetition turning want into demand.

    I just want your two hands on me
    At all times, baby
    If you let go I want your two hands
    Better put 'em right back fast


    But even within this laser focus, McRae is selective. The post-chorus suggests she's not entertaining any third-wheel distractions, emphasizing exclusivity in this hands-on arrangement.

    "'2 Hands' shows a different side of me than what people are used to," said McRae. "The song captures the feeling of falling in love and how sometimes just being close to someone is all you really need. A genuine connection goes beyond needing constant reassurance or fancy things, simply being together is what matters."
  • Fans speculated that "2 Hands" nods to her relationship with The Kid Laroi, which kicked off in early 2024. Whether inspired by personal experiences or just a creative outpouring, the ambiguity gives listeners room to interpret the track through their own lenses.
  • McRae wrote "2 Hands" with songwriter Amy Allen, as well as the track's producers, Peter "Lostboy" Rycroft and Ryan Tedder.

    Amy Allen and Ryan Tedder are McRae's regular songwriting partners. Allen co-penned eight tracks on McRae's 2023 album Think Later, including the hit single "Greedy." Ryan Tedder was the album's executive producer.

    English producer Lostboy's other credits include Tiesto's "The Motto" and Kylie Minogue's "Padam Padam."
  • Fans have pointed out similarities between the vocal processing in the intro of "2 Hands" and Frank Ocean's vocals in Calvin Harris' "Slide."
  • The music video, directed by Bradley & Pablo (Harry Styles, Charli XCX), is a high-octane, comedic romp. McRae zooms through suburban streets in a super-fast sports car and breaks into choreographed dance sequences at a gas station.
  • McRae unveiled the song in full for the first time at a secret fan event in Sydney, Australia, on November 12, 2024.

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