Ever since Tate McRae released her new album “So Close to What” on February 21 her catchy lyrics and dance-inciting beats have been stuck in my head. The album has been blasting in my AirPods for about a month now, and I’m still obsessed with each and every song.
McRae’s talents aren’t limited to inside the studio; she’s the dancing singer-songwriter pop star that the world has been deprived of for years. She knows how to carry a tune both vocally and physically, as proven by her viral concert clips showcasing how spectacular her dance breaks are.
As a long-time Tate McRae fan, I was excited to watch her shift into full pop-girlie mode, complete with fantastic vocals and iconic choreography. For a while, her songs tugged at heartstrings and really embodied what it’s like to be a lovesick girl, but now, she’s embracing the upbeat nature of bouncing back from tragic experiences and finding joy in new ones.
The tone of this album blends a few different vibes, and I’m here for it. Early in the album with tracks like “Miss Possessive” and “Sports Car,” McRae truly channels that early 2000s get-on-the-dance-floor energy. That vibe cohesively contrasts the smooth yet danceable sound within songs like “Means I Care” and “No I’m Not in Love” from later on in the album. It’s cool to see how she can maintain a fun beat while lyrically exploring the tumultuous feelings that one experiences while falling in love.
Accurate to the nature of love, “So Close to What” tells the story of the highs, lows, and complicated moments that come with not only relationships, but also this in-between stage of life where you’re not quite an adult but you’re too old to be just a child.
She shows how obsessed and trapped people can feel in songs like “Revolving Door,” where she describes how difficult it is to free herself from old romantic situations while she still wants to be involved in them. McRae does a great job of showing this addictive nature with a strong beat and catchy repetition.
In “Bloodonmyhands feat. Flo Milli” she describes how freeing it is to bounce back after a failed relationship. This is my favorite dance song on the album because it’s just so hard to not dance while listening to it. I appreciate how Flo Milli could match Tate McRae’s vibe so perfectly, and it’s just a fun song to move to because it truly embodies the feeling of being healed, happy, and hype.
Another one of my favorite tracks is “Purple Lace Bra” because of the layers within that song. On a surface level, it can be interpreted as feeling unheard in a relationship because one’s partner is focused on the physical aspects rather than the emotional connection. However, it can also be interpreted as feeling oversexualized in the media and how nobody pays attention to women outside of their looks. It’s such a catchy song with so much meaning attached to it, so it became an immediate favorite at first listen.
The last song on the album is “Nostalgia” with themes related to the past and regret, which I also feel is so true to this late teen stage where it feels like you’ve lived a lot of life but on a relative scale, you haven’t. It’s a very heartfelt song that reminds me of Olivia Rodrigo’s “Hope Ur Ok” because of the nostalgic nature and emphasis on growth.
I would go as far as naming it a “no-skip” album, and I’m so jealous of anyone with tickets to the Miss Possessive tour. This album has the power to get people hype and excited, but its flexibility makes it easy to relate to. It’s so accurate to what it’s like at this age because of all the back & forth, highs & lows, and love & heartbreak.
