From “you broke me first” blowing up on Tikok to releasing her third studio album “So Close To What,” Tate Mcrae is cementing her place within the music industry. 

Compared to Mcrae’s past albums, her latest album boasts the longest runtime, a result of her growing storytelling abilities. Her talent of conveying a story throughout her discography is heavily showcased in standout tracks “Revolving door” and “Siren sounds.”

Along with her strong sense of narration in the new album, Mcrae introduced artist features to her tracks for the first time. “Bloodonmyhands” featuring Flo Milli incorporates a fast-paced beat to keep up with the rapper which is different compared to Mcrae’s normal slower ballad songs. Then, Mcrae utilizes her classic beats on the track “I know love” featuring The Kid LAROI. By bringing other artists onto her album, Mcrae showcases her versatility and skill to blend her style with other voices to give fans something new.

While the album brings a fresh twist to Mcrae’s discography, she stayed true to her alternative pop and R&B roots. “Signs,” “2 hands” and “It’s ok I’m ok” deliver catchy lyrics and melodies that easily get caught in listeners’ heads. One of her singles off the album, “Sports car,” quickly changes pace with whisper singing sultry lyrics. Besides alternative pop, Mcrae is also known for her slower ballad songs, which she delivered in “Purple lace bra” and “Nostalgia.”

Even though this is only Mcrae’s third studio album, it gracefully shows her growth as a young artist. Her mature vocals, meaningful lyrics and captivating harmonies are on full display within each track, setting it apart from her previous releases. Mcrae’s songs are constantly stuck on repeat and the same holds true with her strongest career defining album yet.