Tate McRae Doubles Down on Pop Dominance with the SO CLOSE TO WHAT???

Photography by Igor Pjörrt

Photography by Igor Pjörrt

The trajectory of the modern pop star is less a slow burn and more an instantaneous, high-velocity atmospheric entry. Tate McRae, the GRAMMY-nominated Canadian force, didn't just break the mold; she danced through it. Her latest move, the release of SO CLOSE TO WHAT??? (deluxe), an expanded edition of her chart-topping third album, is less a collection of bonus tracks and more a definitive statement on her creative velocity.

The update arrives with five new tracks—"TIT FOR TAT," "NOBODY’S GIRL," "ANYTHING BUT LOVE," "TRYING ON SHOES," and "HORSESHOE"—each a necessary addition to an artist who uses volume as vulnerability. McRae has thrived by refusing to choose between being a streaming titan and a genuine performer. Her music—from the 5x Platinum breakout single "you broke me first" to her previous albums, THINK LATER and So Close To What—reinvigorated a pop genre that had grown stale, bringing movement and narrative back to the forefront.

The concurrent release of the video for the new track “NOBODY’S GIRL” is where McRae’s true power is revealed. Directed by Thibaut Grevet and animated by the choreography of the French collective (LA)HORDE, the visual doesn't just accompany the track; it is the language. McRae, a former competitive dancer, has always blurred the lines between voice and body, using movement as a kinetic form of storytelling. The video captures this duality, proving that for her, emotion is not merely expressed through the voice but detonated through spectacle.

This release follows the staggering success of the Miss Possessive Arena Tour, a massive global sweep of over 80 dates that sold more than a million tickets. For an artist barely into her twenties, this level of live consolidation is a rare and profound cultural marker. It proves that the streams and the radio hits translate into a real-world magnetic field. The deluxe album, therefore, is not a final chapter but a deeper dive into the raw materials of an artist who is unafraid of rhythm, spectacle, and the relentless emotional honesty required to hold an arena in the palm of her hand.