Rating: 9/10
After a successful 2024 tour, Canadian pop star Tate McRae decided she wasn’t done yet. On Friday, she released her third studio album, “So Close To What,” and it doesn’t disappoint.
This album is nothing like her previous records. Most notably, her style is more aligned with pop — the kind that makes you want to get up and dance. Following her success with songs like “greedy” and “exes,” McRae leans into her Britney Spears comparison in this new album.
When McRae released the album’s first single in September, it was clear that “So Close to What” would be different. “It’s ok I’m ok” offered an exciting glimpse into the album’s pop-focused style.
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McRae kicks off the album with “Miss possessive,” claiming what’s hers and not allowing anyone to come close to it. With her new evolved style, she says what she wants and becomes more vulnerable and expressive about her feelings. This becomes the album’s overall theme as she starts her journey to becoming her own person.
McRae showcases her vocal talent and ability to create a catchy song on “Revolving door.” McRae expresses the challenges she faces as she tries to grow into being her own woman. Even though she is trying to change, she sings about finding herself returning to her old ways.
“So Close To What” has two features on the album, which are easily two of the strongest songs. The vocal style and chorus construction of “bloodonmyhands (feat. Flo Milli)” make the track feel like it could be a part of a SZA album. McRae expressed that this song is her favorite on the album.
“I know love (feat. The Kid LAROI)” surprised fans, as it features McRae’s boyfriend. This is the first song McRae and The Kid LAROI have released together, showcasing their shared love.
A snippet of the song was teased on McRae’s TikTok a week before it was released. Both artists’ vocals work so well together that you just don’t want it to end.
“Greenlight” is another song where McRae puts us in her mind as she tries to fall in love again. She copes with people telling her it’s the right thing to do, but despite receiving the “green light,” she still feels anxious. McRae is determined to protect herself from being hurt again, even though every sign encourages her to move forward.
The album’s final song, “Nostalgia,” concludes it perfectly. After 15 tracks of energetic but heavily emotional songs, McRae takes a break and ends this journey the way it started — with only her voice and an acoustic guitar.
“Nostalgia” showed that, even through all the theatrics, there are still parts of McRae’s life that she is learning and healing from. Even though she has come far in her journey, she still has some work to do.
Overall, McRae has done it again, producing a great album to kick off her “Miss Possessive Tour” this year. She seems like she is starting to crack the code, and at 21 years old, she is on track to put herself at the top of the music industry.
