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\n\tJust over one year ago, in Dec. 2023, Tate McRae released her celebrated second album, Think Later<\/em>. The punchy pop project debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 \u2013 and introduced fans to McRae\u2019s alter ego: Tatiana. She said in her Billboard <\/em>cover story<\/a> at the time that Tatiana is her tour persona, and described her as being \u201cballsy, so loud and obnoxious.\u201d Those traits came alive on Think Later<\/em>, especially on breakthrough hit \u201cGreedy,\u201d which became McRae\u2019s highest-charting Hot 100 hit, peaking at No. 3.<\/p>\n \n\tOn So Close To What<\/em>, McRae dives deeper into that charismatic cool-girl confidence. She previewed the album with a three-peat of hits: \u201cIt\u2019s Ok I\u2019m Ok,\u201d which hit No. 20 on the Hot 100; \u201c2 Hands,\u201d which hit No. 41; and \u201cSports Car,\u201d which has hit a peak of No. 21 so far. The 15-track set, which clocks in at just under 45 minutes, features just two guests: Flo Milli on \u201cbloodonmyhands\u201d and McRae\u2019s boyfriend The Kid LAROI on \u201cI Know Love.\u201d McRae teamed back up with songwriter-producer Ryan Tedder for much of the album, alongside collaborators including Amy Allen, Julia Michaels and Blake Slatkin, among others.<\/p>\n \n\tEarlier this week, Spotify hosted an intimate listening party of So Close To What<\/em> in Los Angeles. McRae was not only in attendance, but also spoke with her friend and social media personality Jake Shane about the album\u2019s inspiration and challenges. \u201cThe album title encapsulates how I felt turning 21,\u201d she shared, \u201cfeeling like you\u2019re finally a woman while also wrestling with how the media portrays you.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tShe also confessed that \u201cTatiana, my alter ego, wrote a lot of the songs on the album \u2013 including \u2018Sports Car.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tCome March, McRae will head out on her second world tour, named after this album\u2019s lead track, \u201cMiss Possessive.\u201d The outing begins in Mexico City and includes dates across Europe and North America, wrapping in September.<\/p>\n \n\t
Until you can catch McRae in your city, So Close To What <\/em>is out now. Below, find Billboard<\/em>\u2019s ranking of the album\u2019s 15 tracks.<\/p>\n