Ever since Tate McRae took to Instagram on Nov. 14 to announce her upcoming album, So Close to What, she has been hyping up the new era.
The new album was released on Feb. 21 and contains the singles “it’s ok I’m ok,” “2 hands” and “Sports car.” All three singles have accompanying music videos with the most recent at almost nine million views.
In the video, McRae is seen modeling 12 fashion looks; in one scene she even performs beside a live horse. She explains the discomfort she felt while filming as she stepped outside of her comfort zone and put on wigs in various scenes, which she had never worn before. In the behind the scenes video, choreographer Sean Bankhead explained that in contrast with McRae’s usual over-the-top “hairography,” the video was “more about pulling up, being more mature and more grown about the situation.”
The video’s maturity is most apparent in the bold way in which she asserts her presence. The choreo she performs is unlike that of her normal stage performance. The moves are minimalistic, more static than usual. However, in her new era, McRae is more sure of herself and wants to take control. About the new album, she says, “It was really an inner look at turning 21 and stepping into my body as a woman for the first time.” She goes on to explain the importance of taking ownership of her identity: “Sometimes, when you become a singer, you’re perceived by so many eyes, and you forget what you think and how you feel about things. In this video, it was really important for me to take back control and be like, ‘No, I get to watch this first.’”
Director Bardia Zeinali explains the idea behind the music video: “I came up with this concept that we have these contained, insular spaces—rooms—that embody different characters and different kinds of women that are all tied together in this one space. So it gave us the flexibility to play and be a little bit random with the kind of characters that we’re exploring, but unified and tied together in this one space that they all co-exist.”
The video begins with a flash sequence of the different rooms, each one containing a different Tate “character” with a unique outfit. McRae is first seen dressed up as “the watcher” in a black ensemble. In the second outfit, McRae is seen wearing a cheetah print suit with gloves and a matching hat—a Cavalli corset, as she explains in a Vogue interview. The next scene cuts to her wearing what appears to be a thin sheet: a Marine Serre ensemble paired with a pearl choker and Roger Vivier shoes. In the aforementioned Vogue interview, all of the outfits are explained in more detail and paired with a corresponding photo directly from the video.
In fact, the most noteworthy detail is the fact that the video—despite the song’s title—did not actually feature a sports car. A lot of fans were confused about it, and McRae explains the intention behind this creative choice: “I know a lot of people hated that I didn’t have a sports car in the video, but I thought it was sick. I could kind of be the sports car in these rooms. I could be the girl who’s on display.” The video has a more symbolic than literal meaning. In the video, McRae watches 12 versions of herself as a nod to reclaiming her own narrative, as analyzed in the interview.
“This was such a fun song to write. I wrote it with Julia Michaels, Ryan Tedder and Grant, and we wanted to kind of capture the adrenaline of love, sex and the excitement of it all. I felt like a sports car reminded me of that feeling of love and like you are right in the middle of it. We referenced the Ying Yang Twins with the whisper chorus, and it ended up being really fun,” McRae said.
In addition to the new single, McRae embarks on her Miss Possessive World Tour—her first-ever stadium tour—on Mar. 18 in Mexico City. The tour goes through late September and features guest acts Zara Larsson and Benee.
Recently, McRae took to Instagram to announce the official So Close to What tracklist. The 15 songs include “Miss possessive,” “2 hands,” “Revolving door,” “bloodonmyhands (feat. Flo Milli),” “Dear God,” “Purple lace bra,” “Sports car,” “Signs,” “I know love (feat. The Kid LAROI),” “Like I do,” “It’s ok I’m ok,” “No I’m not in love,” “Means I care,” “Greenlight” and “Nostalgia.” Many fans are especially excited about the highly anticipated collaboration with The Kid LAROI, as he and McRae announced their relationship on Instagram officially in July 2024.
McRae’s new era has only just begun. The three singles, “It’s ok I’m ok,” “2 hands” and “Sports car,” are available on all streaming platforms.