Tate McRae Can ‘Redeem Herself’ After USA Olympic Ad Blowback, DJ Frank Walker Says

Tate McRae is catching heat north of the border -- and now fellow Canadian hitmaker DJ Frank Walker is weighing in on the Olympic controversy.

TMZ Sports caught up with Walker at the Tight Ends and Friends bash in the Bay Area amid the backlash over McRae appearing in a Team USA-leaning Winter Olympics promo … and he made it clear where her loyalty should lie.

Team Canada, baby.

"You’ve gotta ride for Team Canada," Walker said. "I feel like she got a bag for it. I don’t think she needs the money, but maybe she saw a good business opportunity. She's from Canada. You've gotta rep Canada a little bit when you get that chance, you know."

The controversy around McRae sparked social media outrage from Canadian fans who accused her of switching sides. Tate later tried to cool things down by reminding followers she’s proudly Canadian.

National pride matters. Still, Walker wasn't throwing McRae under the bus ... instead suggesting she’s got time to win Canadian fans back.

"I feel like Tate can redeem herself,” he said. "She's Canadian at heart ... I think she’ll be back for Team Canada when the Olympics come around."

The DJ also used the moment to hype Canada’s insane music pipeline -- shouting out megastars like Justin Bieber, Drake, The Weeknd and Shawn Mendes as proof the country punches way above its weight culturally.

Walker says that legacy makes representing Canada extra meaningful ... especially for artists like McRae, who've blown up globally.