Following the release of her singles, ‘Greedy’ and ‘Exes’, Canadian singer Tate McRae has just released her highly anticipated sophomore LP on Dec. 8. Co-produced by OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder, the dance-pop album highlights McRae’s incredible talents while introducing her natural pop-star persona.
McRae has gained traction and popularity through her features on songs with DJs like Tiesto and Regard but has, until now, struggled to show who she is as a solo artist. While her debut album ‘I Used to Think I Could Fly’ may have seemed inauthentic and full of marketable pop songs, her sophomore album is much more personal to her and embraces who she is as a solo artist. The album’s title track, ‘Think Later’ is a hard-hitting dance anthem where the pop star recalls a night out with someone she calls a ‘Heartbreaker.’ “Live now, think later, I do it so well / Fall hard, heartbreaker, I want him, oh, well.”
Think Later’s opener, ‘Cut My Hair,’ is a moody pop song with a trap beat and definitely one of my favorites. It’s a reinvention for McRae and gives the listener a teaser of what’s to come in the album. ‘Run for the Hills’ and ‘Hurt My Feelings’ are two additional songs that have also started to take off on TikTok, with the latter being an upbeat, 2010s-esc R&B track. In the song, McRae imagines her crush leaving his girl to be with her, even though she knows it’s impossible because he’s in a committed relationship while singing “Ooh, but I know one thing (one thing) / She can’t stop it happenin’ in my mind.”
The album slows down for the next two tracks, ‘Grave’ and ‘Stay Done.’ ‘Grave’ is my personal favorite ballad off the album and was teased at the end of the ‘Exes’ music video before the album’s release. The lyrics take us through McRae realizing that trying to change someone for the sake of saving a relationship won’t work. “I could never make you want me like I wanted to be wanted / I could never really change you like I thought that I could.”
With her singles going mega-viral on TikTok, ‘Greedy” has already earned her her first number 1 song worldwide. The ‘Exes’ music video pays tribute to iconic pop stars like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. Likewise, the album channels late 2000s Timbaland with its dance tracks and iconic beats, and it should be no surprise that ‘Think Later’ is Tate’s quick ticket to the mainstream. The album, while great, leaves much to the imagination due to its short running time. The 38-minute album features multiple songs that are barely over two minutes, making me wish there were more to the verses or bridges instead of rushing into the chorus to make a song more TikTok or radio-friendly.
In case you missed it, McRae performed ‘Greedy’ and ‘Grave’ on SNL earlier this month and can be caught on Hulu. As a competitive dancer throughout her childhood, we see her fun yet seductive performance show off her natural stage presence and dancing ability. Whether you’re a fan or haven’t yet been introduced to the star, it’s a performance worth the watch.
‘Think Later’ is a career-defining shift for the young singer. With her infectious earworms and enchanting stage presence, she’s an artist worth watching and listening to.
