Tate McRae’s new album “So Close to What” rears away from some of her more sad-girl pop and focuses more on her confident pop star energy side, which I think makes the album more fun, but could leave fans wanting more diversity. Tate McRae has gone from posting songs on YouTube in her bedroom as a teenager to selling-out world tours at the age of 21.
Part of Tate McRae’s appeal is her engaging performances. Along with being a singer and songwriter, Tate is also a dancer, which she puts on display with impressive choreography and backup dancers at her concerts. I understand that because of this, most of her songs must contain a cohesive upbeat sound to support her style of dancing.
With that in mind, as an overall album experience, the songs do sound very similar and I found myself getting slightly less interested the longer I listened to all the songs back to back.
“Miss Possessive” is a strong opener to the album and helps set the tone for Tate’s current vibe. It is upbeat and catchy, and sets the bold, fearless, and “possessive” feeling of the album.
Tate’s boyfriend, The Kid LAROI, is featured on “I Know Love” which is a song placed near the midway point of the album. Many people have been loving what seems to be a supportive relationship between the two, and I enjoyed hearing their styles and voices meshing well together on this song.
I enjoyed “Dear god” and “Signs” a lot but “Nostalgia” was my top favorite. “Nostalgia” is the last song on the album. It’s a slower and sadder one that highlights more of Tate’s vocals and showcases the range with which she can write about different topics.
Artists grow and their style will inevitably change, and while I do enjoy each song individually and have been a fan of hers since her YouTube days, I would have enjoyed it if there were more songs like “Nostalgia” mixed between her hype songs to create more of a balance, similar to her album “I Used to Think I Could Fly” or even still on “THINK LATER.”
Overall I think the songs are good. The production, lyrics, and tone are all done well, but listening through as a whole album could start feeling repetitive. I’d still say it’s worth a listen, you might find some new songs that give you a confidence boost.
