So Close To What by Tate McRae // Album Review

With So Close To What, Tate McRae showcases herself in a way like never before, making it her strongest and most confident body of work yet. This album not only highlights her growth as a vocalist and songwriter but also reveals a deeper emotional and artistic maturity. It is bolder and more candid than any of her work thus far, as she opens up about her newfound sense of womanhood, falling in love, and the complexities of navigating relationships and personal growth in the spotlight.

The ambiguous title of this album embodies both sides of Tate that this record explores. "While I was writing the album, I was on tour, living the same day over and over again. It felt like I was trying to change, but I couldn't quite," Tate said in an interview with Vogue. "I was feeling grown up for the first time, but I'm still 21, which was confusing. I really felt like a woman for the first time - feeling confident about my sexuality and empowered - but then some days waking up and feeling sexualized in a way I didn't enjoy, and feeling very misunderstood. I felt very conflicted, and like a walking contradiction, and So Close to What perfectly summed that up."

Up to this point, Tate's music wasn't something I really found much connection in, but this record shifted my perspective on her work. It's very clear that her sound has evolved so much since her last record in 2023, which in turn really shines through in the music she's making now. Tate released her first EP in 2020 and her debut album in 2022, but it wasn't until 2023 when she released her sophomore album, THINK LATER, that she had a major breakthrough into mainstream music. With a string of viral hits like "greedy" and "exes", and collaborations with some of the best songwriters and producers in the industry, Tate found international success very quickly. Before she transitioned into being a pop star, Tate was already an accomplished dancer, who was seemingly very prominent in the field when she was growing up. In 2016, her biggest claim to fame at the time was being the first Canadian finalist on So You Think You Can Dance, coming in third place. Alongside her professional dancing career as a child and teenager, she started posting covers and original songs on YouTube as well, which started gaining traction around 2017. Her videos caught the attention from record labels and the rest is history!

As a trained dancer, Tate's approach to music is deeply influenced by her ability to physically connect with sound. This connection is evident in the high-energy production that defines much of her work. Her background in dance is the foundation of her music, especially throughout So Close To What, where the beats and melodies feel crafted specifically for movement. "I am a sad-girl ballad-writer at heart," Tate said in an interview with Harpers Bazaar. "But what I've been forcing myself to do is write over beats or write over things that the dancer side of me would be triggered to feel, so I can have fun performing it on tour, because those are my favorite. Those are the records that really come to life and my dancers just eat up, and it just feels like a totally different energy." Tate's choreographed and precise performance style further emphasizes this synergy between her music and dance backgrounds. In many ways, her performances seem to prioritize the physicality of expression, with the dance aspect often taking center stage before the vocal delivery.

From the moment you hear her music, Tate's deep connection to the pop greats of both past and present is unmistakable. Her signature baby voice and dynamic performance style often draw comparisons to Britney Spears, while the booming, Y2K-inspired beats are also reminiscent of Nelly Furtado, The Pussycat Dolls and Ciara. Tate also takes inspiration from contemporary artists such as Ariana Grande and SZA, as well. Much of So Close To What feels very closely linked sonically to Ariana's My Everything and Dangerous Woman albums, an inherent connection given Tate's collaboration with some of the same producers and songwriters from those records. Similarly, the R&B undertones and vocal nuances present in the album are reminiscent of SZA's SOS too, especially on songs such as "Like I do" and "Means I care".

All of those obvious comparisons aren't intended to overtly critique this record, though. She has often been criticized about her originality as an artist and whether or not she is forging her own path or leaning too heavily on existing aesthetics and motifs. While her music isn't breaking new ground by any means, I don't think it necessarily needs to in order for Tate to carve out a space for herself in the current music landscape either. While that is a very common critique of Tate as an artist, it's not something that generally bothers me. After all, I believe that all great artists are a culmination of the influences and innovations that came before them.

The production throughout So Close To What is one of the strongest qualities of this record. Rooted in an early 2000s throwback sound reminiscent of Timbaland's prime, it seamlessly blends hypnotic melodies with booming beats - it's a perfect homage to the pop and hip-hop music of that era.

She worked with many of her frequent collaborators from past projects, with Ryan Tedder serving as both songwriter and producer for much of the album. He has an incredible talent in crafting perfect pop songs, which very much aligns with the goal for this record. She also worked with many other incredible songwriters and producers like Amy Allen, Blake Slatkin, Ilya, Julia Michaels, and many more. She also worked with rapper Flo Milli on "bloodonmyhands" and her boyfriend, The Kid Laroi, on the aptly titled "I Know Love".

The album opens with "Miss Possessive", the song that really sets the tone for the rest of So Close To What with it's bold and infectious energy. "It was heavily influenced by early Aaliyah and early 2000s R&B and those very repetitive melodies," she said in an interview with Vogue. "I started from this initial idea of knowing that I wanted to create a dark pop sound, and something really danceable."

The dark pop vibe is prominent throughout much of the first half of the record, especially with "Dear god", which deepens the moody atmosphere while still maintaining a playful edge. It strikes a balance between the sultry hook and entrancing production. It also has this layer of pain and desperation within the narrative of the song, with her so badly wanting to forget someone from her past. Tate wrote this song with Julia Michaels while on tour, during a three-day period where they ended up writing much of what So Close To What came to be. In her Amazon Music commentary, Tate said, "'Dear god' was just initially we were just like, 'Let’s write a fun, sexy song, dance song,' and then we ended up realizing it was so heartbreaking that feeling of desperation of being like, 'To some higher power, this is the last thing that I can call on for me to forget this person, you're my last hope.' It was kinda fun to use all those visuals of sitting on the side of your bed and praying to forget a person."

So Close To What showcased a lot of the dark, sultry energy that came to be some of the consistent themes of her work with the first three singles that were released prior to the rest of the record. "It's ok I'm ok" was the lead single for the album, which gave a glimpse into the direction she would be going in with the rest of her new music. It was originally written to be a part of her 2023 album THINK LATER, but ultimately didn't make the cut and was now given new life a couple of years later on So Close To What. It very much embodies a modern twist on the bubblegum pop magic of the early 2000's. This song has such a catchy hook that sounds like an updated take on The Pussycat Dolls' classic "When I Grow Up". I love that Tate fully embraced her pop star persona with this and went all the way with it. That song seems to be the basis of a few other songs throughout the album, especially "No I'm not in love" and "Signs", as well.

"2 hands" served as the follow up single to "Its ok I'm ok", which continued to showcase her evolution as an artist. It represented a significant step in her creative journey as she described in an interview with Triple J as "...my first time writing a loveish song". She uses this song to describe what she does and doesn't value in a relationship, with her need for genuine love and connection at the forefront. I also love how brightly her charm and charisma as a performer shines through in this song. It is both heartfelt and vulnerable, while still incorporating her signature pop sensibilities.

"Sports car" is my favorite among the first three singles released prior to the album, it is so catchy and has this effortlessly cool attitude that Tate pulls off so well. She heavily leans into the seductive themes and sleek production, and her confidence really radiates through the song. It perfectly embodies the more playful and flirtatious side of the album. "I was way more sensual in my writing, more flirty in my writing, more sassy in my writing," she said in an interview with Harpers Bazaar about making So Close To What. "I think it was a bit of a natural progression. I didn't really realize that I was being bolder in my lyricism in that way."

Admist all of the really bold and fun tracks, Tate also gets deeply personal throughout the record too. On "Revolving door", Tate opens up about this inner battle within herself, as she feels caught in a mental spiral of overthinking and self-doubt. It is a raw and vulnerable moment on the album, her evocative and emotive delivery makes this one of the standouts of So Close To What. The bridge in particular is one of the greatest parts of this entire record as she sings, "Change my mind so much it's exhaustin', I still think 'bout that night out in Boston, I'm more hurt than I would admit, I'm supposed to be an adult, but fuck it, I need a minute".

"I realized that it wasn't just a relationship song, it was literally about my inability to make decisions and my inability to change and kinda feeling like I was in this cycle not only in relationships but in my life, of staying the same person and never feeling stable on one thing," Tate explained in her Amazon Music commentary. "So, the bridge is one of my favorite parts of that song 'cause I had literally just done a performance it talks about like, 'Supposed to be on stage but fuck it, I need a minute...' like, everything needs to stop for one second so I can screw my head on straight and realize who I am, 'cause everything felt like it was moving a million miles an hour."

So many songs on this album, especially in the first half, are strikingly sharp and bold in the same way that "Revolving door" is. Tate doesn't shy away in exploring more vulnerable themes, which makes this music so much more personal. One of the biggest stand outs of the record is "Purple lace bra", which is one of the most impactful and honest moments of So Close To What. The song delves into her experience both in relationships and as a woman navigating the music industry, often feeling like she is being objectified for her sexuality. Rather than letting that define her, Tate reclaims the narrative and asserts her desire to be both sexual and empowered, but only on her own terms. She fights back against those expectations, wanting to both embrace her sensual side, while maintaining her own autonomy. She wrote it with Amy Allen while on a break from her tour. It came from a place of constantly seeing clips of herself online from her shows and feeling like people weren't really seeing her for who she is or really grasping what the songs were about.

"What I realized that I was feeling after being on tour all year and after seeing so many videos of my face and my body and just everything, I felt like my relationship with the media had been really fucked up in my brain...I just sometimes felt like people weren't hearing me and they were just like looking at me and making an assumption and they weren't hearing me," she said in a song commentary for Amazon Music. "And it was a really interesting concept to tap into, to be like, 'I've been giving you everything and I've been telling you everything and you're still not hearing me, so how can I make it so you finally hear me?' So it was like, it’s so funny because it’s such a sensual song, but really, like, heartbreaking."

It's a really powerful statement to be making and an essential moment on So Close To What. "I'm losin' my mind, I'm losin' my head, you only listen when I'm undressed," she boldly sings in the bridge. "Hear what you like and none of the rest, I'm losin' my mind 'cause giving you head's the only time you think I got depth".

Throughout So Close To What, Tate often delves into themes of emotional complexity and the lingering impact of past experiences. On "Greenlight", she captures this feeling of being stuck in a cycle of unresolved feelings and wanting to move forward, but feeling held back by something. In her Amazon Music commentary, Tate described the metaphor of waiting at a green light but being unable to move, feeling physically stuck in the same place. "It was just like every signal is telling me that it's okay and you can go and the light is green and I literally just can't physically move my body," Tate said. "And that's such a weird state to live in sometimes, especially when you're entering a new relationship, being like, 'Wow, we really are a reflection of our past,' And everything that someone says to you at one point, everything that, any comment, any moment, all shapes the decisions you make now, which is really interesting."

The album ends in a very different way than it began, but it feels like such a natural progression for Tate at the same time. "Nostalgia" is an intimate look into the story of her family, which is so gorgeously written. It's so clear how sincere and heartfelt this track is for Tate, it feels like a true return to her singer-songwriter roots.

During a Spotify listening party, Tate explained that "Nostalgia" was inspired by a conversation she once had with her dad. In the opening lines, she sings, "Daddy went to law school and could've been an architect, now he's turnin' sixty and wonders where the big dream went," reflecting on the sacrifices and unfulfilled dreams of her father. She continues this deeply personal narrative in the second verse, "My ma wasn't raised right, oh no, all she ever knew was guilt, little did she know that's all her kids would ever grow to feel,' capturing the emotional legacy of her family's struggles with striking lyricism.

"I remember just thinking, I’m like, 'Oh, wow, like, we really can like go through our lives and like sometimes miss out on, you know, the moments what we’re in or make decisions just because we think it's right or we think it's, like, the right thing to do and never really follow, like, our true passions or be present in the moment," she said during a Spotify listening party. "I felt like I was living in this, like, fear of the future, and living the future or the past and never ever the present. And so that, I thought it was a great way to finish the album."

The vivid storytelling of this song brings such a beautiful close to this record. It is introspective and evocative, with a message that so many will be able to take something away from. It serves as an important reminder that while our history may shape us, it does not have to define who we are in the present or who we can become in the future.