‘So Close To What’ Review: So Close To Being Good

Three albums in, it is clear that Tate McRae is so close to finding her sound, but it is not quite there yet. I was incredibly excited for this latest album by her because of the singles. It’s ok I’m ok and Sports car were especially intriguing to me. The momentum has been building for McRae. She had many viral moments outside of the music alone for her performances. There is a lot of goodwill going into this album cycle, but Tate McRae does not deliver a new classic pop album. There are hints of greatness and moments that left me sadly bored. Read our full review of So Close To What below. 

Let’s start out with the good first. This is definitely the best Tate McRae album, but for me, that was a low bar. The production and vocals are the best they have ever been. They feel fuller and like every song was given the same amount of care. My main problem with her last albums is that it felt like there was care put into only half of the songs and then a lot of filler. So Close To What has its lesser moments, but that does not outweigh the good songs. Altogether, the album feels like an authentic exploration of Tate’s experience as a twenty-one-year-old dealing with love and fame. She has some true breakthroughs; the song ‘Purple lace bra’ feels like the most important and vulnerable upbeat song on the album. The line “You only listen when I’m undressed” was specifically notable and shows how this song stands as a thesis for most of the album. 

I will say that I am thanking God that McRae learned that ballads are not her thing. Every song but one on So Close To What is upbeat, and the slow song Nostalgia is still proving that she can not make a ballad. I do think she has a lot of substance to say, but most of those cutting lines fit better in a pop song. The songwriting has moments of clarity and interesting observations, but they are always just moments. The most that I can get out of the album is that Tate is very indecisive and scared of love because, in one second, she tells her muse she wants him and then says she has to leave. It is relatable, but the album makes thin mentions of why this could be. It attempts, but none of them are fleshed out enough to make the lyrics interesting at all. 

My main problem with Tate is that she can not make a full, cohesive body of work. She seems to have thrown everything at the wall and seen what sticks approach, and that does not make for pop genius. I just kept asking, “Who is Tate McRae?” We can see her influences, and it is clear that she has a reverence for pop icons of the past, but referencing can only get you so far. She is talented and can dance and sing, but I can not truly tell you one distinguishing quality that she has. If I were Tate, I would take a long break so she could find herself. She has so much potential, but at the rate she is going, it might never be fully realized. 

Even with all of this, I do not think this is a bad album. It is more in the middle. It has some great moments, like ‘Sports car,’ ‘Signs,’ and ‘Dear god.’ When Tate is given a good beat and a hook, she transcends. Unfortunately, So Close To What proves that Tate McRae is not a huge pop star in the likes of Sabrina Carpenter or Olivia Rodrigo, but it shows progress. With self-reflection and time, she could make a great pop album, but who knows if she will ever give herself the time and grace to do so. 

Personal ranking of each track from So Close To What:

1. Sports car
2. Signs 
3. Dear god
4. Purple lace bra
5. Its okay im ok
6. 2 hands
7. Revolving door
8. Like I do
9. I know love (feat. The Kid LOROI)
10. Miss possessive 
11. I am not in love 
12. Means I care
13. Nostalgia
14. Bloodonmyhands (feat. Flo Milli)
15. Greenlight

So Close To What is the third studio album by Tate McRae. The album is primarily written by McRae, Amy Allen, Julia Michaels, and Ryan Tedder and was released on all streaming platforms on February 21st.

Thank you for reading this review of So Close To What. If you enjoyed this article, please check out our reviews section.