At 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 20, my friend Jenna and I were sitting in the Cook Out parking lot drinking our milkshakes. At 12:00 a.m. on Feb. 21, we were sitting in the Cook Out parking lot drinking our milkshakes and listening to the highly anticipated album drop: “So Close To What” by Tate McRae.
“So Close To What” as an album strikes me as the older sister to her previous album “Think Later,” with similar electronic beats and a continuity of McRae’s sonic style, but showcasing a more mature and grown-up version. “Think Later” has the rawness and vulnerability of a coming-of-age album; “So Close To What” adds on to these emotions with introspection and more sexiness and confidence.
The album opens with “Miss possessive” with Sydney Sweeney over a beat saying “No seriously, get your hands off my man.” This sets the tone of the album perfectly. McRae asserts herself as a woman you would not want to mess with, warning the girl in the song that she knows the game she's trying to play. “Pretty girl, gon’ learn your lesson / Some fights you’re never gonna win” sums the energy of this song up for me.
The next track I love is “Revolving door” in which McRae is explaining her pattern of returning to the same partner, even though she knows it’s not good for her. The bridge of the song is “Life feels worse, but good with you in it,” showing her desire for a feeling that won’t end well. The music video was released 30 minutes after the album drop, and the visuals and choreography in it — my words cannot do it justice.
Another highly anticipated song was “Dear god,” which McRae teased on her TikTok on Dec. 3, 2024. Listening to this one for the first time had me dancing immediately. The beat is addicting and the lyrics are so catchy, and at the same time, the lyrics reflect the complicated feelings about how McRae would do anything to forget about a past partner. This song is a classic example of her skill in layering honest, vulnerable lyrics over the most danceable music imaginable, and still making it work.
“Purple lace bra,” the next song on the album, uses that technique as well. This one is my favorite because of the bridge. It comments intimately on how McRae feels like the industry responds to her when she plays into the “sexy pop star” stereotype. The lyrics “I’m losin’ my mind, I’m losin’ my head / You only listen when I’m undressed / Hear what you like and none of the rest” show how McRae feels like her songs are often only taken at face value. While she has songs that are definitely just upbeat, confident songs, her discography also has examples of her emotions throughout many stages of her life and fame. Listening back to the rest of the song after the bridge, it’s clear how she describes the fine line between being empowered in your sexuality and being sexualized by society.
After many phenomenal songs, the album ends with “Nostalgia,” which embodies the sound of McRae’s ballads of her earlier career. The beginning of the chorus with the lyrics “Lately, I wake up feelin’ like / ‘Oh, where does the time go?’ / You never really know / ‘Til you’re standing in the bathroom mirror” really reflects the “what if?” feeling that haunts many people, including myself. It closes the album in a way that reminds me of my favorite songs of hers and how they encapsulate the uncertainty of growing up so well.
Overall, I give this album a solid 8.3/10. While there are songs that I felt were nothing new from her, such as "No I'm not in love" and "Greenlight," there are no songs I dislike from the album.
I’m excited to get to see McRae’s growth in her career, of which she is so deserving. What a great time to be a college girl and love pop music!
