Tate McRae’s So Close To What: Her official ascension into pop royalty

Tate McRae, a 21 year-old Canadian singer-songwriter, is reaching new heights in her career following the release of her third studio album, So Close To What. McRae simultaneously brings a raunchy, feisty side of herself to the table, whilst still maintaining a deep sense of vulnerability that leaves listeners coming back for more of her irresistibly hype tracks. From consistently topping today’s charts, to selling out a worldwide arena tour adding up to 81 total shows, this groundbreaking release is delivering McRae straight to the golden throne of all things pop.

The album opens with a fierce declaration as popular actress Sydney Sweeney gloriously speaks, “No seriously, get your hands off my man.” McRae proves her dominance straight out of the gate with track one, as “Miss Possessive” layers addictively sassy lyrics with a beat that is guaranteed to make you want to try some of McRae’s dance moves. Heading straight into “Revolving Door,” the album wastes no time in establishing its duality, digging into themes of hard-to-break habits and mental exhaustion. “Revolving Door” is the fourth single off of the album and is additionally accompanied by a music video that has taken the TikTok trend world by storm. With no short of thousands of videos of people trying McRae’s iconic (and nearly impossible!) leg hold into a one-legged backbend, her reign as an industry threat is far from over.

Prior to the album, three singles were released, which garnered the singer hit after hit while building anticipation for the ultimate album release. After irresistible snippets of “It’s ok I’m ok” were teased on TikTok, McRae dropped the single in September of 2024. With countless trends to the song blowing up across social media, the captivating track soon became inescapable.

The second single, “2 hands,” was dropped in November of the same year. Fans everywhere were buzzing about the star’s first alleged love song, especially after confirming her relationship with fellow singer, The Kid LAROI, earlier in the year.

“Sports car,” the third and final single ahead of the album, was released at the end of January this year. Fans across the world proved they were more than ready for the album, begging the singer to keep teasing tracks and hyping up endless countdowns to the confirmed release. By showing off themes from love to confidence, each song had a careful hand in crafting the perfect stage for the official drop of  So Close To What.

Though the singles will be sure to get you hooked, the rest of the album is guaranteed to make you stay. From the incredibly raw and symphonic “Purple lace bra” that delves into the oversexualization of females in the entertainment industry, to the vulnerability of “Means I care,” McRae delivered over-the-top performances in each and every track. She even features her current partner, The Kid LAROI, on the exciting and beautifully sweet, “I know love (feat. The Kid LAROI),” that had fans everywhere gushing over their relationship.

Despite the immense success leading up to the album, McRae’s release journey had its twists and turns. Her world came crashing down in an instant when her entire project was leaked online just one month prior to its official drop. She reiterates how devastating this was for her, and in turn inspired her to return back to the studio to reimagine the album. She sought any way to reclaim her work as her own, resulting in two added tracks to the digital version of the album. “bloodonmyhands” features a spicy Flo Milli verse, and “Like I do,” a deliberately catchy tune about distrust and relationship troubles, complete the album in a way that I cannot imagine any other way.

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Through and through, McRae has truly shown her maturity and growth in establishing her sound. Charting as Billboard’s Number 1 U.S. album – the first of hers to earn this accolade – Tate is only beginning to carve out her definite future as a pop force to be reckoned with. As she embarks on an unbelievable tour run to close out the rest of 2025, So Close to What is sure to be on repeat until further notice.

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