Tate McRae is coming for the title of pop’s newest “it girl” in 2025. Just over a year since the release of her sophomore album Think Later, and on the heels of her accompanying world tour, Tate McRae has big news for fans and pop music listeners. McRae recently announced via Instagram that her newest album, So Close to What, is slated for a Feb. 21 release date.
Just after recovering from this bombshell, fans refreshed their Instagram feeds to yet another post announcing her 2025 Miss Possessive World Tour — it was a very shocking moment for all of us Tate McRae fans. For all those, including myself, needing to prepare themselves (and their wallets) considering Tate’s recent announcements, here is everything you need to know about her newest era.
Grown-up sound
So Close to What represents McRae’s transition from a young and emergent pop star to a mature staple on the pop scene. At the 2024 iHeartRadio Jingle Ball in New York, Tate talked with interviewers about how her journey growing up inspired the sound of her newest album. She explained how the age of 21 defined her newest record and cited “falling in love again” as one of her songwriting inspirations (thank you, The Kid Laroi).
In an exclusive first look at Tate’s music video for her newest single off the album, “Sports car,” Bardia Zeinali, one of the video’s directors, described So Close to What as a “transformative” record that “[pushes] it in every aspect of beauty, fashion, movement, and choreography.”
As a sneak peek into the creative direction of the album, the “Sports car” music video promises Tate’s fans some of her most innovative and mature work yet. The singer donned 12 different outfits in the video, complemented by wigs and a live horse (yes, actually), garnering comparison to pop stars like Beyoncé and Lady Gaga for their envelope-pushing music videos.
As a Hannah Montana kid and a lifelong Miley Cyrus fan, the “Sports car” video (especially the feathered outfits — if you know, you know) strikes me as Tate’s “Can’t Be Tamed” moment, where she shocks the pop scene with an edgy and matured style and feel. After all, Tate expressed in “cut my hair,” the lead single off Think Later, that her “Sad girl bit got a little boring.”
Singles, teasers, and a…parking lot?
Besides “Sports car,” So Close to What is preceded by two additional singles that have set the tone for the album’s high energy, hip-hop/dance-pop fusion: “It’s ok I’m ok” and “2 hands.” On “It’s ok I’m ok,” Tate passes the baton of her ex to a new girl, but not without warning her about his two-sidedness.
The track is rumored to be about Tate’s NHL player ex, Cole Sillinger, who faced cheating allegations while dating the singer (which he denied on social media). The single earned Tate her highest-charting debut on the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 20 and clinched the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s inaugural Hot Dance/Pop Songs chart.
Her second single off the album, “2 hands,” is an electropop hit that proves Tate’s love language is physical touch. In the song, she rejects praise, expensive gifts, and grand gestures of love in favor of physical intimacy. The song attests to the maturity of the So Close to What era, and its music video’s high-energy, F1-inspired visuals offer fans a glimpse into the album’s sporty aesthetic.
In the video, Tate wears a custom race car driver suit and zips around the streets of L.A. in a McLaren, even stopping for a dance break at an old gas station. The sporty, race car-inspired feel of Tate’s new project wouldn’t be complete without an album teaser in a parking lot…right?
In November 2024, Tate hosted a pop-up show on a rooftop parking lot in Sydney, Australia, where she dropped snippets of her newest songs from the bed of a truck (with the words “sports car” graffitied on the side, fittingly). One track that caught the attention of fans was “Green Light,” where she sings about her hesitations about falling in love again.
She is caught waiting at the metaphorical green light of love, unable to proceed due to her nervousness from past relationships. The song generated major excitement from fans who took to TikTok comment sections to gush about their anticipation for Tate’s upcoming record.
Miss Possessive Tour
For fans who survived the presale war (I was one of the lucky ones), Tate is making stops throughout the U.S., U.K., Europe, and Canada on her Miss Possessive World Tour. The tour is slated to kick off in March of 2025 in arenas around the globe, marking Tate’s first arena tour — which she sold out with ease. The singer will be joined by openers Zara Larsson and Benee.
looking ahead
Mark your calendars: we’re officially 18 days out from the release of So Close to What. Feb. 21 is officially a national holiday in my household (or dorm room). Fans can expect an evolved, mature, and high-energy sound from the album, complemented by an edgy and sporty aesthetic. Get ready for a ride — Tate’s newest era is gearing up to be some of her most cutting-edge work yet.
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