5.0 out of 5.0 stars
On Feb. 21, singer-songwriter Tate McRae released her third studio album, titled “So Close To What.” The album comes after McRae had a breakout year in 2024, with her hit song “Greedy” from her second studio album “Think Later.” “So Close To What” brings back the vibrant pop sounds usually heard around the late 1990s and early 2000s.
McRae looked to continue her success stemming from “Think Later” when she premiered “It’s Ok I’m Ok” from the then-unreleased album at the last performance of the Think Later Tour. The song immediately made waves across social media with fans asking McRae to officially release the song. On Sept. 12, McRae released “It’s Ok I’m OK” on streaming platforms. The song has sticky instrumentals and vocals that make listeners want to get up and dance. The outro’s lyrical repetition makes for an aesthetically pleasing mix.
The second single from the album is “2 Hands,” which was released Nov. 14. Like the first single, the song has instrumentals and vocals with dance pop vibes. The highlight of this song is the post-chorus: “I want ’em all to see / you look good on top of me / at this time of night I need / not one, not three / just your two hands on me.” The instrumentals make it sound like it comes straight out of a dream. The beat gives off nostalgic late-night drive feelings with very intimate lyrics. The bridge is unique compared to other songs on the album because of her increased vocal presence and turned-down instrumentals.
The third single, titled “Sports Car,” was released Jan. 24, and is different from other songs in McRae’s discography because the chorus of the song is whispered rather than sung regularly. This, along with the intimate lyrics, gives an approach we are not normally used to seeing from McRae. The high-pitched vocals in the pre-chorus set up the intimacy of the song and blend well with the song’s flow.
An underrated song on the album is “Dear God.” The stand-out part of the song is the post-chorus, which is mixed by replaying the lyrics with a bass sound in a catchy way that satisfies the ear. During the outro, the post-chorus can also be heard in the background, creating an even more rewarding listening experience.
Over the past year, fans have been wondering if McRae would collaborate with her boyfriend, The Kid Laroi. They finally got their wish with “I Know Love.” McRae and The Kid Laroi sing about their relationship and the happiness they both feel the other person brings into their life. The song also includes a catchy chorus where McRae describes how The Kid Laroi was the person she needed.
“So Close To What” is a no-skip album. Every song has at least one part that will be stuck in the listener’s head for days, whether it be the chorus, post-chorus or outro. If this past year has not solidified McRae as a top 10 artist of this decade, this album has surely done it. With just a year since her last release, McRae was able to create an entire album of hit songs in that very short amount of time. McRae has succeeded in putting a message out to the world that she will be in the music industry for a long time.
