Tate McRae transitions out of the dark mood from her previous record, “THINK LATER,” from 2022 and reflects a brighter version of herself on “So Close To What,” released on Feb. 21.
The record’s lead single, “It’s ok, I’m ok,” reflects a significant musical improvement from the preceding record. Sonically, hints of Britney Spears are dabbled within the song as McRae introduces heavier electronic influences and synths. Its hook, “It’s okay, I’m okay, I don’t really gotta say, It’s okay, you can have him anyway,” reflects McRae’s potent confidence in separating from this former partner.
An additional two singles, “2 Hands” and “Sports Car,” were released prior to the album, which revolve around McRae’s current relationship with singer The Kid LAROI. Although the former continues down the electro-pop path, its hype is front loaded by a choral snippet which dies once listeners are introduced to a jaded song. The single itself feels merely for TikTok as well as a filler-track to the record. Regardless, it serves well for a second single. The latter, however, garnered traction for McRae’s album, with its alluring whispered hook and evident Pussycat Dolls influence in the trancing instrumentals, which is crafted with precision.
Such a meticulous, well-rounded selection of singles set high expectations for the record. These songs, though, are sort of red herrings for a album that is lukewarm. Most notably, the cut “I know love” featuring The Kid LAROI is a last-second addition to the record. Although it is a cute song that displays their joy within the relationship, both artists do not let their full potential shine. The album cuts “Means I care” and “Like I do” were also added short-notice due to the physical copies that leaked a month in advanced, causing McRae to tack on four new and quite unnecessary digital tracks. Out of the four, three completely killed the perfection of the original track listing, featuring now-exclusive tracks “Call my bluff” and “Better than I was.”
The other addition, “bloodonmyhands” featuring Flo Milli finds McRae, rides a poppy R&B beat with captivating vocals that truly reflect her artistry. McRae and Milli acknowledge their self-worths and laugh at their former partners for thinking they would be impacted by their absence, with hook “Dance like I can’t be bothered, know it kills you, bounce back and found another and he hates you.”
Amidst the heavy romance, McRae shifts the focus to the media’s callous nature on “Purple lace bra,” referring to the cover art of lead single “It’s ok, I’m ok.” McRae highlights her persistence. Regardless of her perseverance to drive attention to the music, she sings, the media is only truly invested when an artist is provocative. This concept is amplified in the chorus as McRae sings, “Would you hear me more if I whispered in your ear, make all my inner thoughts sound like, ‘ah-ah.'” She longs for the public to recognize her as a pop singer and not an object they can lust over, evident in her whining-like vocals in the chorus and the pleading inflection across the song.
Overall, the record was a fairly enjoyable listen. There are iridescent gems such as “Revolving Door,” “Purple lace bra,” “Greenlight,” and “Nostalgia,” while other tracks the record would have immensely benefitted without. It is evident on the record that McRae has grown artistically and personally and is capable of achieving grander feats. With a bit more meticulousness in terms of production and track selection, McRae could easily create one of the greatest pop records this decade.
