Early aughts’ pop, with its dirty, club-ready aesthetics and glossy, synth-driven production, can never truly be replicated. In her junior album released on Feb. 21, Canadian popstar Tate McRae verges on mastering the era’s sparkly grandeur, but ultimately misses the mark with several formulaic and forgettable tracks that seemingly blend in together. However, it’s the sultry, anthemic standouts of So Close To What that capture the true infectiousness of 2000s pop and R&B, and save the record from becoming a hollow imitation of its influences.
After her sophomore album Think Later was criticized for its surfeit of sad-girl ballads, McRae responded with three pop hits — each one a punchy kickback at the vitriol she had previously received. “It’s ok I’m ok” and “2 hands”, the first two singles off of So Close To What, exchange her usual introspection for more carnal, unabashed lyrics, setting the tone for the record’s overall sensuality.
But the third single, “Sports Car”, is where McRae hits the jackpot. A racy blend of deep bass and breathy vocals, the song is McRae’s most successful imitation of 2000s pop and its provocative production. “Sports Car” reaches an addictive climax as she whispers, “I think you know what this is, I think you wanna ugh,” leaving no room for lyrical interpretation.
But when McRae is not delivering upbeat, aughts-inspired anthems, several tracks feel confined to a formulaic approach that lacks any freshness. “I know love” featuring The KidLaroi is a cute nod to the pair’s relationship, but that’s about all it offers — otherwise it’s just another generic, radio-pop love song with a gratingly repetitive hook and nothing else notably remarkable.
There’s no denying So Close To What is McRae’s most sonically cohesive project, maintaining the brassy sounds of 2000s pop throughout its 42-minute run. However, the record is almost too cohesive, to the point several songs seamlessly blend in together and ultimately fade into the background of the album’s more anthemic tracks. “No I’m not in love” and “bloodonmyhands” share the similar rhythmic bass and dirty-pop energy as other tracks on the album, but lack any infectious hooks or interesting production choices to keep them engaging. In other words, several songs on So Close To What are simply forgettable.
Nevertheless, McRae has the explosive personality of a pop supernova. Her glamorous music videos and Britney-esque choreographies — like in the provocative video for “Its ok, I’m ok” — are enough to prove that she’s eager to cement her place in the pop world. And while So Close To What is a promising dive into the realm of throwback pop, most of its tracks feel like fun, yet formulaic pop songs that were manufactured to appeal to the masses. McRae needs to experiment with risker production if she wants to retain her early aught’s pop sound while also offering something fresh enough to stand out in an already oversaturated pop music industry.
