Tate McRae – No I’m not in love. Lyrics Meaning: The Ultimate Anthem of Sweet Denial

Ever found yourself so deep in a ‘situation-ship’ that you’ve started making up wild excuses for your own behavior? You know the drill. You’re spending all your time together, you’ve started dressing a little like them, you’ve memorized their coffee order, and maybe you get a tiny, irrational pang of jealousy when they mention someone else. But if a friend asks what’s up? “Oh no, we’re just friends. It’s just… convenient.”

If that little scenario hits a bit too close to home, then get ready. Tate McRae has basically bottled up that exact, frantic feeling of self-deception and turned it into an absolute bop that you can scream-sing in your car. This isn’t just a song; it’s a play-by-play of someone trying to outrun their own heart. So, let’s dive into the glorious, messy, and oh-so-relatable world of “No I’m not in love.”

Cracking the in Tate McRae’s “No I’m not in love”

Right from the get-go, Tate sets a scene that is hilariously transparent to everyone except, apparently, herself. She’s building a case for why her actions mean absolutely nothing, but her evidence is… well, let’s just say it wouldn’t hold up in court.

She starts with some pretty flimsy excuses:

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• Morgan Wallen & Tate McRae – What I Want : A Perfect Match in Imperfection
• Tate McRae – 2 hands : Physical Connection Trumps Empty Words
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• Tate McRae – Greenlight : Stuck at the Intersection of Past and Future
• Tate McRae – Means I care : When Pushing Away is a Cry for Connection
• Tate McRae – Revolving door : Stuck in a Vicious Cycle of Wanting More
• Tate McRae – Miss possessive : Drawing the Line with Unapologetic Confidence
• Tate McRae – Dear god : A Desperate Prayer to Erase a Ghost
• Tate McRae – No I’m not in love : The Ultimate Anthem of Sweet Denial

Six times a week! You can almost picture her saying this to her best friend with a perfectly straight face, hoping they don’t question the logic. The word “convenient” is doing some seriously heavy lifting here. It’s the kind of excuse we use when the real reason is too big and scary to admit. Then she continues, layering on another reason that only makes her feelings more obvious.

Only kinda dressing like you now
‘Cause your clothes, they fit me
And that’s good reason, oh yeah

It’s such a classic sign. When you start adopting someone’s style or borrowing their clothes, you’re subconsciously trying to feel closer to them. But in her narrative, it’s purely about the practicality of a good fit. Sure, Tate. We totally believe you.

The “Don’t Read Between the Lines” Defense

Before she even gets to the main declaration, she puts up a defensive wall. She’s not just telling this person she’s not in love; she’s been running a full-blown campaign to convince everyone, including herself.

Told you one, two, three times
Don’t be reading through lines
Every friend of mine
I told them the same

This is the sound of someone overcompensating. If you truly don’t have feelings, you don’t usually need to announce it repeatedly to every single person you know. It’s a preemptive strike against anyone who might see the truth in her actions.

And then we hit the chorus, which is a masterpiece of absurd denial. She doesn’t just say “no.” She makes statements that are factually, cosmically incorrect to emphasize her point. It’s like saying, “I’m not hungry, and by the way, the earth is flat.”

No, I am not in love
I am not thinking ’bout you
Sun’s not gonna come out
And I don’t hate every girl your eyes go to
I am not in love
Sky has never been blue

This is where the song’s brilliance shines. By pairing the denial of love with the denial of basic truths—like the sun rising or the sky being blue—she’s subconsciously admitting that her claim of “not being in love” is just as false. And that little line about hating every girl he looks at? That’s the jealousy peeking through the cracks in her carefully constructed wall.

Beyond the Excuses: The Vulnerable Heart of the Song

The second verse just digs the hole of denial even deeper, and it gets even more specific and comical. She’s covering all her bases, from social media stalking to potential drunk confessions.

I’m not bothered looking up your exes
Matter of fact, we could probably be friendses

Nobody who is “not bothered” ever brings up looking up exes. It’s a confession disguised as a dismissal. And the almost childish word “friendses” adds a layer of awkwardness that feels so real. She follows it up with another perfect excuse for knowing all his favorite music.

If I slip and I somehow say it
You should know in advance I’m wasted

She’s already planning for a future slip-up! This is the ultimate “get out of jail free” card for when her true feelings inevitably spill out. She’s so aware that she might confess her love that she’s creating an alibi ahead of time.

Beneath all the funny lines and transparent excuses, there’s a real, vulnerable feeling here. Why are we so afraid to admit when we’re falling for someone? It’s the fear of being the first one to say it, the fear of rejection, or the fear of changing a dynamic that feels safe. Tate McRae captures the internal monologue of someone teetering on the edge of that emotional cliff, desperately trying to pretend they’re nowhere near it.

This song is a reminder that sometimes, the loudest word is the one left unsaid. It’s an ode to the messy, confusing, and often terrifying phase of falling in love when you’re just not ready to admit it. The real message isn’t to lie about your feelings, but to recognize this stage of denial as a deeply human and relatable experience. It’s a gentle nod to the courage it takes to eventually stop making excuses and just be honest with yourself.

But hey, that’s just my interpretation after listening to it about a hundred times. What does this song scream to you? Is it a funny take on modern dating, or a sad story about the fear of vulnerability? I’d love to hear what you think. Maybe you see a completely different story in her words. Let’s chat about it!