REVIEW: Tate McRae’s “SO CLOSE TO WHAT??? (deluxe)”

By Kehinde Adejumo | December 5, 2025

Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Tate McRae decided to close off the “So Close To What” era by giving fans four new deluxe tracks plus the already released “TIT FOR TAT”. The explosive single debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Released on Nov. 21, “SO CLOSE TO WHAT???” focuses on healing from a breakup and the pressures that come with being in the spotlight. Tate revealed on Instagram that she was writing a lot of poetry while she was on tour in Europe and wanted to give fans a few extra songs that felt “ethereal, magical, and free.”

“TRYING ON SHOES” has this beautiful orchestral arrangement that brings us back to Tate’s sad-girl music days. The line “I knew I must’ve dropped my diary in the pool for a reason (Erased your every line)” is beautifully tragic because it is the only time in the song where we get a visual response to the breakup. The vocal delivery of Tate’s breathy vocal register is what makes this track so heartbreaking as we hear Tate trying to move on from a former partner while realizing she can’t be who her partner wants. 

“ANYTHING BUT LOVE” utilizes Tate’s sing-rapping abilities that fans got a glimpse of on “bloodonmyhands.” The string-filled backtrack and trap beat provide a compelling contrast to the R&B sound of Tate’s vocals as she coos over the line “I have anything but love for you.” This is a scathing track in which Tatiana (Tate’s alter ego) comes out and makes it clear she hates the person in question. I think this is a welcome addition to the album, as we get to see Tate’s humor when she mentions that even her dog hates this person. It’s also great to see another side to Tate as her songs aren’t usually driven from a place of anger.

The second single from the deluxe, “NOBODY’S GIRL” embraces how great it can feel not being tied to anyone after a breakup. The song is most similar to the production on the standard edition of “So Close To What,” with Tate’s signature use of muted siren sounds and whispery distorted vocals. The message of “NOBODY’S GIRL” is empowering as it shows listeners how Tate is learning to love herself again. The lyric that captures this best is: “Real love doesn’t clip your wings”. The track is confessional in nature as Tate struggles between her ambition in her career and her mental health. “NOBODY’S GIRL” is one of Tate’s more mature songs as it is one of her more introspective songs that prioritizes growth over pleasing others.

“HORSESHOE” plays on the theme of being lucky in one’s career but trying to cope with the end of a romantic relationship and missing that person being in your life. In this SZA-inspired track, Tate’s soft vocals, solemn tone, and lyrics make the song sound like diaristic as she is vulnerable about using alcohol and a joint to deal with the pain. While “HORSESHOE” is vulnerable, introspective lyrics like “I’m not a popstar when I’m all alone,” lack originality and depth. Tate makes up for this shortcoming when referencing “Siren Sounds” (a bonus track added to the standard edition of “So Close To What”) with the lyric “I know the house burned down, but I finally saw the moon.”

“TIT FOR TAT” was surprise-dropped on Sept. 26 and many fans think it is a response to The Kid Laroi’s song “A Cold Play.” The pre-chorus tells fans that she is not afraid to sink to an ex’s level, saying: “Let’s go song for song, let’s go back to back / Let’s go tit for tat, boy, you asked for that/ That’s the best you got, where’s the good one at?” In this track, Tate takes jabs at an ex, continuing to describe their messy behavior in the chorus over a pulsating beat with chanting vocals. One of her most potent jabs is when she asks the ex in question to fix themselves. What makes “TIT FOR TAT” so good is that Tate is explicit in her clapbacks and witty in her lyric delivery.

“SO CLOSE TO WHAT???” as a deluxe album has Tate’s best vocals to date. For those who claim she can’t sing, they should hear how much she has improved on these five tracks alone. While the deluxe tracks do see a more vulnerable and angrier side to Tate, I can’t help but think they would have stood out more if they were their own separate EP. These songs don’t sound like they would fit into the upbeat sonic nature of the standard edition. I also believe that the new additions to the album should be listed at the bottom of the tracklist instead of at the top. Moving the songs toward the bottom would have shown a natural progression of Tate moving on from a previous relationship, therefore closing out the “So Close To What” era.

I do think that production-wise, “TRYING ON SHOES,” “HORSESHOE,” and “ANYTHING BUT LOVE” sound eerily similar with slight variants. The similarity in the production style can make it so that it is hard for the songs to stand on their own, as they mesh together for the listener. “ANYTHING BUT LOVE” was not needed as “TIT FOR TAT” evokes the Tatiana persona better and has more depth. Out of this mix of new tracks, “TIT FOR TAT” and “NOBODY’S GIRL” tend to stand out for their bold production and showing a different side to Tate. Another point of contention was the songwriting on these tracks - there were times where Tate was trying to say something meaningful, but it often fell flat because the lyrics did not capture the emotion in enough depth.

Since these tracks signal the end of the “So Close To What” era, I think this collection of songs shows that Tate is willing to experiment when it comes to her next project. I’m looking forward to seeing what she comes up with next.

Rating: 3/5