Songfacts®:

• "Anything But Love" is one of four new songs on the deluxe edition of Tate McRae's album So Close to What, which was released on November 21, 2025. McRae's breakup with Aussie hitmaker The Kid Laroi in July 2025 after an 18-month relationship seemingly inspired several of the tracks, including the hit "Tit For Tat." The vicious "Anything But Love" stands out as particularly sharp and confrontational.
• The song wastes no time claiming that everyone hates the unnamed ex: not just McRae but her friends, her family, her fans, and even her dog. McRae uses hyperbole throughout, such her claim to have consulted "all of California" about her ex's move, which is the sort of logistical undertaking one imagines would require clipboards, a census team, and millions of forms.
• The pre-chorus ushers us into a confrontation at a hair salon where McRae runs into the ex and wonders if the meeting was fate, coincidence, or clinginess. She brushes him off as someone who dreams of "that upper echelon" but "doesn't make that cut."
  
  There's no evidence this salon encounter happened outside the realm of pop storytelling, but as narrative devices go, it's more interesting than recounting the true logistics of celebrity breakups, which often involve lawyers, muted phone calls, and too many password changes.
• Then there's the mysterious Ryan.
  
  My fans hate you, my friends hate you, and Ryan hates you
  
  Who is this Ryan? The prevailing fan theory points to Ryan Tedder, the hitmaking OneRepublic frontman who helped McRae cook up hits like "Greedy" and "Tit for Tat." Another theory connects the reference to McRae's bodyguard, who reportedly is named Ryan, based on social media observations from her Miss Possessive Tour.
• McRae also summons Tatiana, her high-gloss alter ego from the Think Later era - the version of herself who wears confidence like a sparkly coat and has no patience for anyone's nonsense.
  
  And if you hate me, then why you keep on jacking off to Tatiana
  
  This persona allows her to say the things regular-day Tate never would. McRae attributes the creation of several of the So Close To What tracks, including "Sports Car" and " Dear God " to Tatiana's perspective.
• Tate McRae wrote "Anything But Love" with songwriter Julia Michaels and producer Grant Boutin, both of whom have been in McRae's orbit since Think Later. Boutin's production begins with the musical equivalent of someone quietly clearing their throat - minimal backing that invites your attention - before expanding into beats and synths that mirror McRae's building conviction. It's a journey from wounded recollection to decisive empowerment.
• As for the timeline, the song appears to have been floating around in early demo form well before its official release, likely in early 2025. Meanwhile, McRae and Laroi's split wasn't announced until late July 2025, meaning the relationship was in some stage of wobbling while she was actively shaping the So Close to What tracks. This gives the song an intriguing duality: it may not have been born as a breakup track, but it certainly matured into one.