One of pop music’s fastest rising stars is Tate McRae. She was born on July 1, 2003 in Calgary, Canada. She began taking dance lessons from a young age and competed both recreationally and professionally, winning numerous awards. Her dancing skills have been key to her music career, with many of her music videos featuring complex and impressive dances.
McRae’s venture into music started with her posting covers on YouTube, garnering millions of views. She broke through into mainstream music with her hit song “You Broke Me First” which has amassed over 1.6 billion streams on Spotify to date. After the success of “You Broke Me First,” McRae released her debut album i used to think i could fly in 2022, which featured another hit song, “she’s all i wanna be.” A year later in 2023, she released her sophomore album THINK LATER, which featured her most successful song to date, “greedy,” which has garnered over 1.6 billion streams on Spotify and peaked at No.3 on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2025, she released her third album So Close To What with hit singles like “It’s ok I’m ok,” “2 hands,” and “Sports car.” The album also gave McRae her first No.1 album on the Billboard 200.
Album Reviews:
Think Later by Tate McRae:
OVERALL: 70% (98/140)
TRACK RATINGS:
- cut my hair: 6/10
- greedy: 9/10
- run for the hills: 8/10
- hurt my feelings: 6.5/10
- grave: 7/10
- stay done: 5.5/10
- exes: 8.5/10
- we’re not alike: 6/10
- calgary: 7/10
- messier: 5/10
- think later: 8.5/10
- guilty conscience: 7.5/10
- want that too: 7/10
- plastic palm trees: 6.5/10
REVIEW:
Think Later showcases much of Tate McRae’s talent as an artist, blending the relatable feelings and emotions surrounding the teenage years with both modern and nostalgic pop sounds. Hits like “greedy” and “exes” highlighted the album and comprised much of its success. However, there are many songs that without conscious effort, wouldn’t likely be played as often as the few hits off the album. With this in mind, the album as a whole is given a 70% or C- score, however, it is still a personal favorite of mine.
So Close To What by Tate McRae:
OVERALL: 79.375% (127/160)
TRACK RATINGS:
- Miss possessive: 8/10
- Revolving door: 8.5/10
- bloodonmyhands ft. Flo Milli: 9/10
- Dear god: 8/10
- Purple laced bra: 8.5/10
- Sports car: 8.5/10
- Signs: 8/10
- I know love ft. The Kid LAROI: 8/10
- Like I do: 7.5/10
- It’s ok I’m ok: 8/10
- No I’m not in love: 6/10
- Means I care: 6/10
- Greenlight: 6.5/10
- 2 hands: 9.5/10
- Siren sounds: 9/10
- Nostalgia: 8/10
REVIEW:
So Close To What is a big step up from Tate McRae’s last album Think Later. Featuring hit singles like “It’s ok I’m ok,” “2 hands,” and “Sports car,” So Close To What proved to be successful even before its release. McRae showcases more mature and developed themes in this album but still blends it perfectly with modern and nostalgic pop sounds like in Think Later. The only downsides to this album have to be its chaotic final months prior to its release, with leaks affecting it’s anticipation, as well as the last minute and post-release tracklist reorganization and added songs such as “Siren Sounds” (which had previously been leaked online and uploaded by users on certain streaming platforms months before the albums release). It also featured some not-so-memorable songs in the second half of the album. With all of this in mind, So Close To What scores a 79.325% or a C+, however I personally enjoy the album and believe it is a good next step in Tate McRae’s career.
