On Feb. 21, Tate McRae released her highly anticipated third studio album, “So Close To What.” This 15-track record debuted on the global Spotify chart with 29.98 million streams — making it McRae’s most successful release thus far.
As a new listener, I was curious whether McRae planned to stick to her classic formula of easily digestible pop songs. The opening track, “Miss Possessive,” sets the project off to a great start. Surprisingly, the first voice we hear isn’t McRae — it’s Sydney Sweeney. The Euphoria actress begins the project with a one-liner: “No, seriously, get your hands off my man.”
This was an unlikely duo, but it comedically sets the stage for an album that revolves around relationships, sex and nostalgia — exactly what you’d expect from a 21-year-old popstar.
The tone of this album remains catchy and upbeat, though McRae leans more towards pop-R&B, citing “Are You That Somebody?” by Aaliyah and “Promiscuous” by Nelly Furtado as some of her key inspirations. Personally, I caught the Nelly Furtado vibe right away, but I was also reminded of an early 2000s Britney Spears. Her lyrics on this album have a theme of being liberated and confident, in true Spears fashion.
While I would’ve loved to see McRae get more experimental with her sound (and potentially slow it down a little), her signature style isn’t necessarily a bad thing — I believe that this album gave us a few more hit songs that will continue to put her on the map, such as “Purple lace bra,” “Dear god” and “Revolving door”.
The fact that there are only two features on this album — Flo Milli and The Kid LAROI — is worth noting. Fans are listening closely to her track “I know love” featuring LAROI in particular, since this collaboration gives fans the inside scoop on their recent relationship.
“I said ‘You my type’ out in Mexico tonight/You said it was gon’ be quick, now we’re twelve months in, so/Everybody needs someone they can hold down/Girl, stop actin’ like you’re tough and let your guard down,” LAROI sings passionately. This was one of my least favorite tracks on the album, simply because it felt predictable and repetitive.
However, I think what McRae lacks lyrically, she makes up for in her visuals. Her choreography and creative direction within her performances and music videos is what makes her comparable to icons like Britney Spears and The Pussycat Dolls. After all, she was a dancer first, appearing as a finalist on “So You Think You Can Dance” in 2016.
If you enjoyed the three singles released from this project, “It’s ok I’m ok,” “2 hands” and “Sports car,” you’ll definitely enjoy the rest of it. Since its release, “So Close To What” has gained praise from musicians and celebrities alike, including Ethel Cain, Hailey Bieber and Olivia Rodrigo.
Fans will be happy to hear that McRae will be embarking on her “Miss Possessive Tour” on Mar. 18, with two stops in Detroit in August and October. With so many new pop stars making themselves known, McRae is worth keeping in mind — especially if you’re nostalgic for the early 2000s era of pop music.
