Singer. Songwriter. Dancer. 21 year-old Tate McRae’s third album, So Close to What, proves that she is a triple threat and a constantly evolving artist. Released on Feb. 21, the album features 15 original songs and a bonus track added on Feb. 24. With themes of self-empowerment, personal growth, and fame, So Close to What takes McRae’s music in a new direction: one that is bolder, more mature, and more confident than her emotional ballad-packed second album, Think Later.
The opening track, “Miss Possessive”, sets the tone for the rest of the album, displaying a new side of Tate that has never been seen before. With addictive club beats and an infectious melody, the song shows, rather than tells, that this is a new era for McRae in a more effective way than McRae’s contradictory lyric “Sad girl bit got a little boring” in Think Later. Ironically, the first voice that can be heard on the album isn’t McRae’s – it’s an intro by Sydney Sweeney that amplifies the confident, sultry emotion.
The following song, “Revolving Door,” is McRae’s newest single, and a perfectly chosen one at that. It hits all of the marks, including strong production, fun synths, emotive vocals, and a meaningful beat. Each of the song’s elements contributes to the overall theme of being stuck in a revolving door. “Clicks” and beats in the song make it feel like the listener is in a revolving door, and the repeating lyrics just amplify the effect.
As the start of many relatable songs on the album, the track centers around two feelings: the feeling of always going back to an ex “like a revolving door,” and how life can be exhausting and fast-paced without any time for breaks. The bridge is one of the highlights of the record and a standout from other bridges on the album. One of the best parts of it was its parallel to another lyric on her second album, where McRae refers to the first night she met the ex.
Another standout on the album was “Purple lace bra”, an impactful song about the media’s tendency to focus on female artists’ appearances and sexuality over their talent, messages, and hard work. In an interview with iHeartRadio Canada, McRae describes the song as a “conversation between [herself] and the media.” She criticizes the fact that the only way a woman can be heard is if she sexualizes herself, and explores conflicting feelings about whether she is feeling confident or just being sexualized by the media.
McRae sings, “I’m losin’ my mind, I’m losin’ my head / You only listen when I’m undressed / Hear what you like and none of the rest”. She emphasizes that even when she sexualizes herself so that people will listen to her, people still only hear what they want rather than the message she is trying to get across. Ironically, after the song was released, many people didn’t hear McRae’s message and focused on the sensual imagery used to explain what women have to do to be heard. However, with its powerful lyrics and important message, “Purple lace bra” is undoubtedly the most meaningful song and the strongest track on the album.
Other memorable songs were the two collabs, “I know love” which features McRae’s boyfriend The Kid Laroi, and “Bloodonmyhands” featuring Flo Milli. Though McRae is no stranger to collaborating with other artists, this was the first time she included features on one of her albums. “Bloodonmyhands” was a refreshing and fast-paced song; a track that will certainly highlight her talented dancing abilities. As the first song of McRae’s to feature a rapper, the track was unexpected but maintained the overall feeling of the album. In “I know love”, McRae shines with her vocals but also manages to create a catchy, smooth, and chill pop song, mixing her soft sultry vocals with Laroi’s laidback energy. Both songs were great additions to the album, even though they were both written just before the release of the album, due to the album leaking which caused McRae to want to take back initiative in her music and include songs that were never heard before.
The album starts off with more confident songs but includes more vulnerable lyrics towards its second half, similar to Think Later. Some of the highlights included the bonus track “Siren Sounds” and my second favorite track, “Nostalgia”. “Siren Sounds” was a track scrapped from Think Later and later leaked to the public just like So Close to What. However, McRae gave the crowd what they wanted, and Siren Sounds really stands out as a highlight of the album, combining amazing vocals and production that makes the song cathartic to listen to.
The final track on the album, “Nostalgia”, is sonically very different from the rest of the songs. Just like “New Year’s Day” on Taylor Swift’s Reputation, the song slows down and features more of an acoustic and guitar-driven sound. However, the lyrics are the largest difference of all. While still being a relatable song, the lyrics resemble those in Think Later, being more specific, sad, and somber. The song really shines lyrically, and it is a refreshing throwback to McRae’s old style of music.
Although the album has no skips, it can certainly be said that there were less memorable and lyrically repetitive songs. Unfortunately, tracks such as “Like I do“, “Means I care”, and “No I’m not in love” don’t make up for the repetitive lyrics with interesting production, and apart from a few standout songs, it felt like many of the songs sounded identical in structure, just with a different story.
The album also felt weaker than Think Later lyrically, which didn’t appeal to me as a music-lover who enjoys the lyrics of songs the most. However, I understand that aspects like the production, melody, and catchiness of the chorus all contribute to a song’s quality, especially more so with the direction of pop music that McRae is heading toward. This gives McRae room to keep growing as an artist, and I am excited to see how she incorporates her lyrical side and danceable, production-focused side in her next album.
If you liked Guts by Olivia Rodrigo, Melodrama by Lorde, or Happier Than Ever by Billie Eilish, listen to So Close to What for a similar experience with a powerful or experimental production but an emotional core.
8/10
