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How This Agent’s ‘Superpower’ Propelled Gracie Abrams, Tate McRae and More Into Arenas
CAA agent Shirin Nury says her understanding of young pop fans, shaped by her own teenage concert experiences, has helped her build touring careers for artists including Gracie Abrams, Tate McRae and Charli xcx. Her approach prioritises sustainable, long-term growth and fan experience over maximising every immediate ticket-selling opportunity, as several clients move into arena-level touring.
McRae’s 2025 Miss Possessive Tour grossed $110.8 million, including $4 million from two sold-out Madison Square Garden shows, while Charli xcx’s brat tour grossed $21.3 million and her co-headlining tour with Troye Sivan earned $28 million. Abrams progressed from theatres to multi-night arena dates on her 2024–25 tour, and her forthcoming Look at My Life tour includes four sold-out Barclays Center shows, despite demand for more.
In short
- Shirin Nury has helped several emerging pop artists become arena headliners.
- She prioritises long-term careers and fair fan access.
- Tate McRae’s 2025 tour grossed $110.8 million.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Nury’s approach can be seen as building durable careers by growing audiences at a pace that preserves intimacy and strengthens fan loyalty. Leaving some immediate ticket demand unmet may support a better concert experience, sustain interest over time and give artists room to develop rather than treating each tour as a chance to maximise short-term revenue.
The case against
A more aggressive approach to ticketing and venue expansion could let artists meet strong demand, reach more fans and capture revenue that might otherwise go unrealised. Holding back capacity or turning down additional dates may frustrate fans who cannot get tickets and could limit artists’ earnings and momentum while interest is high.
Explained simply
Shirin Nury is a talent agent at CAA (Creative Artists Agency) who manages touring careers for pop artists including Gracie Abrams, Tate McRae and Charli xcx. Her approach differs from traditional industry practice by prioritising sustainable long-term growth and fan experience over extracting maximum revenue at every opportunity.
Nury's strategy is informed by her own experiences attending concerts as a teenager, which shapes how she develops her clients' touring careers. Several of her artists have progressed from smaller theatres to arena-level touring, with multiple artists now selling out major concert halls.