Tate McRae released her third studio album, “So Close to What” on Feb. 21. 

McRae continues to prove herself as one of pop’s rising stars. She uses blends of pop, R&B, and a bit of an electric vibe to complement her storytelling in the album.

McRae uses her emotional side to show vulnerability, growth, and the hardships of a relationship throughout a lot of her songs in “So Close to What.”

Her vocals in the album are soft but strong at the same time. McRae seems to know how to apply the way she sings with the lyrics effortlessly, whether she is singing about heartbreak or hope. 

In “So Close to What,” one can sense the maturity McRae faces due to her not shying away from such a “grown up” album. 

Standout tracks like “2 Hands” and “Sports Car” show her ability to make catchy and club-like anthems. 

This album is like when one’s frontal lobe fully develops and it comes with self realization and discovery.

The album features artist The Kid LAROI in the song “I know love” and Flo Milli in “Bloodonmyhands.” While both songs were great, I do feel as though McRae could have added more features to make the album pop more. Ultimately, that’s what “So Close to What” was lacking. Having more than two features on an album makes it more fun and lively. 

I feel like people don’t want growth or maturity when it comes to artists who evolve in their music. Instead people want the same heartbreak and sad songs with no type of palette, but McRae proves through this album that not everything has to be sad all the time. Things can have a joyful and fun spin with still getting a point across.

McRae definitely knows how to craft infectious pop anthems that are worth a listen for fans of pop and R&B.

Overall, “So Close to What” is a great addition to McRae’s discography. It offers something for everyone due to it being diverse in lyrics and it’s sound. Whether you’re needing to cry or dance, this album seems to have it all and it is a powerful step for McRae for her career.