"Greedy" is a song by Canadian singer and songwriter Tate McRae. It was released through RCA Records on September 15, 2023, as the lead single of her second studio album Think Later (2023). The dance-pop and R&B song was written by McRae, alongside Amy Allen, Jasper Harris, and OneRepublic lead singer Ryan Tedder; production was handled by the latter two along with Grant Boutin. Lyrically, McRae described the song as an ode to female empowerment.
"Greedy" was commercially successful, peaking at the top of the Canadian Hot 100 and the Billboard Global 200. Outside of Canada, "Greedy" topped the charts in several countries, including Austria, Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, and Switzerland. The song also peaked within the top 10 of the charts in countries such as Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and the top 20 of the charts in countries including Finland, Indonesia, Romania, and South Africa. It was the fifth-best-selling song of 2024 globally and is certified Diamond in France as well as Platinum or higher in eighteen additional countries. Additionally, the song won the Juno Award for Single of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2024.
In December 2022, McRae first talked about her new "era" of music, saying that she was "in the zone" for the music and determined on who she wants to be and what to do next. "Greedy" signifies a "new chapter" of music to McRae. It reflects on an encounter she had with a man at a bar, who expressed that he found her mysterious. Upon reflection, McRae agreed with his impression, noting that it "takes a lot" for her to open up. She subsequently wrote "Greedy" about the "feeling of having utter confidence". She described the outcome as a "cool female empowerment song" which she loved. McRae articulated that the song marks the first time people see a "feistier and more playful side" of her, being as "unexpected" as it is.
Greedy was re-written and recorded in January 2023. In an interview with Genius, Mcrae stated the original lyric in the chorus was "I keep to myself" but was later changed to "I would want myself". McRae first teased the song via TikTok on August 4. The teaser subsequently went viral on the platform with over 200,000 videos made across different sounds. Billboard writer Kyle Denis opined that the song is a "successful example of a concerted TikTok-focused promotional plan", as it was carried to success by snippets steadily teased by McRae rather than a trend.
Sonically pop, dance-pop, and R&B, the sheet music for the song shows the key of F minor in common time with a tempo of 111 beats per minute. The published vocal range spans from F<sub>3</sub> to D<sub>5</sub> in the song.
An accompanying music video was released along with the single on September 15, 2023, and was directed by Aerin Moreno. The visuals are set in an empty hockey arena and features McRae driving an ice resurfacer while wearing a hockey glove. The subsequent dance segments were choreographed by Sean Bankhead. Rolling Stone writer Tomás Mier opined that she embraced her Canadian heritage by showing love for hockey.
Credits adapted from the song credits of Genius.
Recording
Personnel
The song topped the charts in Austria, Canada, Norway and Denmark, debuting at number one in the latter two countries. It also reached the top 10 in at least 20 countries, including Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, New Zealand, Poland, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and the top 50 in Brazil and Italy. It is her first song to chart within the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number three. It became the year-end number one song of 2024 on the Pop Airplay chart after peaking at number one for eight weeks total.