"So Close To What" album review

Tate McRae dropped her third studio album “So Close To What” last Friday, Feb. 21. The album was preceded by three singles: “It’s ok I’m ok,” “Sports car” and “2 hands.”

The album release had a rocky start when demos were leaked online prior to the release. Despite being upset, McRae responded by creating two new tracks for the album, “Blood On My Hands” and “Like I do.”

The album digs deeper into McRae’s confident and bold alter ego “Tatiana” that was introduced in her second studio album “Think Later.” “So Close To What” furthers the growth and rebranding in McRae’s music that “Think Later” brought to life.

McRae’s ability to rebrand and grow from her first studio album “i used to think i could fly” until now is impressive. “So Close To What” is proof that she is capable of even more than she showed in “Think Later.”

The first track on the album “Miss possessive” establishes an upbeat and bold tone for the album. Starting with such a strong track displays McRae’s growth into becoming more confident and tapping into her alter ego.

“Revolving door” keeps the upbeat feel of the first few songs while also getting more vulnerable. In this track, McRae dives into the struggle of going back to someone despite knowing you shouldn’t and does so with a catchy rhythm.

The album differentiates itself from “Think Later” with songs like “Sports car” that prove McRae is still capable of being bolder and more feisty than ever before.

“Purple lace bra” stands out as one of her more vulnerable tracks on the album. The title references her outfit in a past music video and the media’s opinions on it. The lyrics discuss McRae’s frustration with often feeling sexualized and never fully listened to when she speaks.

The last few tracks on the album opt for a more calm mood. “Nostalgia” stays true to its name by diving into McRae’s desire to beat the sadness of losing someone and the difficult feeling of missing somebody.

The album features a majority of strong tracks but still has a few skips. With the album coming in at 15 songs there are a couple that the album may have been better off without.

“Like I do” has a catchy beat, but lacks variation and depth in the lyrics and feels constantly repetitive.

“I know love (feat. The Kid LAROI)” comes across as a very standard and unoriginal love song. The Kid LAROI’s verse has very basic love song lyrics and falls short of expectations, especially considering LAROI is Mcrae’s current boyfriend and this is their first song together.

Luckily, these few songs that fall short of expectations don’t ruin the feel of the album as a whole. However, they could have been better off left behind.

Overall, the album meets what was expected for her third studio album. The album continues to establish Mcrae as a rising mainstream pop artist and continues to explore her new bold energy that began with “Think Later.”

Rating: 7/10

Reviewer’s Favorite Song: “Purple lace bra”

Reviewer’s Least Favorite Song: “Like I do”

Lucy Bielecki is a second-year majoring in telecommunications. To contact her, email lpb5533@psu.edu.