Throughout the decades of music, There has almost always been one or two larger-than-life Pop stars in every era that take the world by storm and drive everything about the culture around their genre. From style and image to the sound of their music, these artists have influenced and dictated the progression of the Pop world in every way possible. Artists like Cher, Madonna, Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, and Taylor Swift have affected music and culture in really huge ways throughout their careers; their impact is undeniable, as they are known and revered by people of all ages and from all walks of life. Over the last several years, it seems like we have not had a Pop star emerge with that kind of importance and influence, Do not get me wrong, artists like Ariana Grande, Dua Lipa, and Olivia Rodrigo are extremely talented and successful(I love the music from all three of them), but they just have not had the kind of power and importance in terms of their music as the Pop stars mentioned above(in my opinion). Over the last couple of years, Tate Mcrae has taken the world by storm, and I believe she may have that kind of generational star power. There are so many things about her that are so captivating; from her image to her dancing and performances to her eclectic sound, Tate Mcrae seems like someone who can take over and become the next global Pop Superstar. After first making a name for herself on the show So You Think You Can Dance several years ago at age 13, Tate Mcrae first burst onto the scene as a musician in 2017 when her song ‘One Day’ went viral on YouTube and TikTok. This led to her being signed by RCA Records, putting her on the map as one to watch. Tate Mcrae released her first EP, All the Things I Never Said, in 2020, and her second EP Too Young to Be Sad, in 2021. Both of these albums were very well received by the public, and they led to Tate Mcrae’s debut album, I Used To Think I Could Fly, which came out in the summer of 2022. This album helped Tate Mcrae keep building her momentum as one of Pop music’s new icons. Tate Mcrae has now just released her second album, THINK LATER. If this album has the same quality as her first record, it could cement her as one of the new faces of Pop music. With that being said, here is how I feel about Tate Mcrae’s album THINK LATER. Please let me know in the comments below what your favorite songs are from THINK LATER, and also comment on how you feel about the record as a whole.
Tate Mcrae gets THINK LATER started on an emotional note with the song ‘cut my hair.’ This song has a heavy Pop-Trap sound that fits the impassioned feeling of the lyricism. The tone of the melody of this song is very melancholy; The synths that drive this melody are dark and gloomy, giving the song a very somber feeling. This melody is put on top of a pretty basic Pop-Trap beat that is not very distinctive but does drive the rhythm of the song nicely. The manner in which Tate Mcrae sings on this track is as pensive as the melody. The negative feelings she is singing about are palpable in the tone of her vocals. On ‘cut my hair,’ Tate Mcrae sings about trying to win a guy over who is starting to fall for another girl. She wants to do everything she has to so the guy realizes that she is the one he needs. ‘greedy’ has become one of the biggest hits of the year. This song has been everywhere after going viral on TikTok; it was a chart-topping smash hit and is easily one of the top Pop songs of 2023. This song has a Y2K Pop energy to it that I absolutely love. In fact, the Y2K feeling of this song is probably what has made it so popular, as fashion and music from this era have become very popular over the last year or so(which makes me happy because that is the era I grew up in). When I hear ‘greedy,’ I think of Britney Spears. Specifically, I think of songs like ‘Toxic’ or ‘Me Against the Music’ from Britney’s In The Zone album. This song has a groovy and infectious synth-driven melody that is put on a classic and fun rapid Pop beat. It is the kind of song that will get any dance floor bumping, as it is so easy to dance and sing along to. Tate Mcrae’s vocal performance on this song does not blow anyone out of the water, but it is very solid and fits the energy of the song. Her vocals help drive the song along nicely and help make it such an earworm. On ‘greedy,’ Tate Mcrae is singing about someone who is falling for her at a club or party. She is warning this person about trying to be with her because she is a maneater with a lot of baggage. ‘run for the hills’ is another slower song with a downtrodden and weighty feeling to it. ‘run to the hills’ has an anthemic feeling to it that makes me think it could end up being a hit. I would not be surprised if this one becomes one of the most popular songs on the record because of how powerful it is. The melody for this track is warm yet somber; it is somehow inviting and repelling at the same time. This ponderous melody is put on top of a pretty typical Pop-Trap beat. To be honest, the beat is probably the worst thing about the song. I wish the beat were either more intricate or more low key because it would make ‘run for the hills’ hit even more. I really like Tate Mcrae’s vocal performance on this track. She shows off her range on this track, and sings with a level of conviction that helps the song’s austere feeling resonate. On ‘run for the hills,’ Tate Mcrae is singing about a former significant other she can not get over. Even though this person hurt her in many ways, the good outweighed the bad and she misses them thoroughly.
‘hurt my feelings’ is a catchy yet sort of forgettable song that honestly feels a lot like filler. The song is not bad by any means, but it also does not grab me very much. It honestly feels like the kind of basic Pop song you would hear as background music while shopping at a department store. There is not a ton about ‘hurt my feelings’ that pulls me in or engages me. The melody is breezy and amusing but also bland, and the beat is nothing to write home about either. This song probably has my least favorite vocal performance of the record as well. The mixing on this track makes Tate difficult to understand, adding to the forgettable nature of the track. On ‘hurt my feelings,’ Tate Mcrae sings about how a guy she used to talk to is still into her even though they are not talking anymore. She knows she is still on this person’s mind and that they are still into her. I enjoy the first part of the song ‘grave’ a lot, but as it progresses, it gets pretty basic and plain. The first third or so of the song has no beat, giving the song an acoustic feeling that shows off a different side to Tate Mcrae’s artistry that I appreciate a bunch. Unfortunately, though, a pretty unmemorable Pop beat comes in after the first chorus, drawing away from the power of the song. If the whole song consisted of a simple and solemn piano melody that is complemented by cool sound effects and synths with no beat, this song would be so much more engaging. Unfortunately, when the beat and major saturation of the melody and vocals come in, it brings down the quality of ‘grave.’ Tate Mcrae’s vocal performance on ‘grave’ is very nice. Her delicate and sweet vocals on this track make it sound sentimental. On ‘grave,’ Tate Mcrae sings about trying to get over a guy who keeps pulling her back in even though they hurt her so often. ‘stay done’ is the first song of the record that does not have a sound driven by synths or a piano melody. This is a guitar-driven Pop track with a mid-to-late-2000s feeling to it. When I hear this track, I think of the music made by artists like Ashlee Simpson or Nick Lachey during that period. Now, I am not into that kind of music very much, but I do definitely appreciate the switch-up in sound and expansion of Tate Mcrae’s artistry on this track. ‘stay done’ is driven by an easy-going guitar riff with a pleasant yet wistful tone. The beat for this track is not riveting or memorable, but it does go nicely with the calm sound that the melody has. Tate Mcrae delivers her most poignant vocal performance of the record to this point on ‘stay done.’ Her vocals on this track are so crisp and touching, going nicely with the feeling the melody delivers. On ‘stay done,’ Tate Mcrae sings about not being able to get over a guy she knows she should stop talking to. ‘exes’ was the second single released before this album came out. Like ‘greedy,’ it is also a major highlight from this record, and I would consider it to be one of the best Pop singles of 2023. This is another track with an early-to-mid 2000s feeling to it that I dig a lot. The production on this track makes me think of some of the Timbaland music produced in that era. It reminds me of some of the biggest hits from Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado. The synth-driven melody ‘exes’ contains is so addicting, and the beat has the kind of energy that will get anyone on the dance floor. Tate Mcrae’s vocal performance on ‘exes’ is riveting, but the tone in which she delivers the lyrics on this track is as addicting as the melody. On ‘exes,’ Tate Mcrae is saying goodbye to her former lovers, stating that even though they still want her, to her it is over.
‘we’re not alike’ is totally different from anything on the record that precedes it. I honestly did not know(or think) this kind of song was in Tate Mcrae’s bag, and I have to say, I really dig it. This is a Pop-Rock song with an early 2000s Adult Contemporary Alternative feeling to it. It has a sound that is comparable to the music from bands like Vertical Horizon or Sixpence None The Richer. There is an element to the melody of this song that is a bit Emo as well, which if you know me, you know I appreciate. I enjoy hearing Tate Mcrae sing on this sort of guitar-driven instrumental because it suits her voice well. Even though she has the image of a more traditional Pop Star, I do wonder if she would be better suited to making Alternative Pop-Rock because of ‘we’re not alike.’ On ‘we’re not alike,’ Tate Mcrae sings about a former friend who stabbed her in the back. We go from the most interesting song on the record to one of the most bland ones on ‘calgary.’ I honestly do not have a ton to say about this song. It is honestly just boring to me. Nothing about it is bad, necessarily. The guitar-driven melody is nice and warm, and the beat is not the worst thing in the world, but together they are dull. It is a shame that I feel this way about the instrumental, because ‘calgary’ probably contains Tate Mcrae’s best vocal performance on the record. She shows off her range in this song and proves there are many dimensions to her voice. On ‘calgary,’ Tate Mcrae doubts herself and wonders if she will ever find her place in the world. She feels like an outsider everywhere, including her hometown. This is a very relatable sentiment, and I wish the song’s sound resonated with me more. ‘messier’ is an additional pretty dull Pop track that just does not pull me in at all. Similar to the song before it, the instrumental feels tedious and uninspired. The best way I can describe this song is that it almost feels like a Katy Perry knock-off track. It has the same kind of twinkling melody and light beat one would expect from an early 2010s Katy Perry track, but it does not contain the charm of Katy Perry’s hits from back in the day. It is ironic that the song before it had my favorite vocal performance of the record because I would say this is my least favorite one. I feel like Tate Mcrae’s tone does not fit this instrumental very well, and her vocals on ‘messier’ feel all over the place. On ‘messier,’ Tate Mcrae sings about potentially going back to someone she used to be with even though she knows it will be bad news. The title track, ‘think later,’ is one of the hardest-hitting songs on this record. The tougher and grittier element that this song is definitely welcomed after how slow and monotonous the last couple of songs were. ‘think later’ is a raucous Pop-Trap track with an anthemic feeling to it. The melody and vocals have a sassy attitude to them that makes the song feel larger than life, and the beat drives the song in a big way and makes it so fun. I wish there were more songs like this on the record because Tate’s energy in her vocals matches the instrumental so well and makes ‘think later’ so fun to listen to. On ‘think later,’ Tate Mcrae sings about falling head over heels for a new guy and not worrying about the consequences of her actions.
‘guilty conscience’ is one of the most upbeat and fun songs on the album. Still, there is something about this one that does not grab me as much as it should. The melody is breezy and entertaining and the beat is easy to move to and the chorus is an earworm, so this song should feel like it is better to me. There is something about it that feels too safe. Similar to a couple of songs earlier in the record, it has an element that makes it sound like basic cookie-cutter department store Pop music. On ‘guilty conscience,’ Tate Mcrae once again sings about going back to a guy that she knows is not good for her. ‘want that too’ is one of the most low-key songs on the record, and unlike the other songs with this feeling, I enjoy this one a lot. Apart from the singles, ‘want that too’ has the most dynamic instrumental on THINK LATER. This is a track that builds in energy as it moves on. As the song progresses, more synths and sound effects come in, and the beat gets larger. It all comes to a crescendo about three-quarters through the track, before ending things on an acoustic note. Tate Mcrae’s vocals on ‘want that too’ are dainty and pleasant, making the song all the more memorable. On ‘want that too,’ being young and dumb and being taken advantage of by those in the music industry. Tate Mcrae closes out this album on a pretty mundane note with the song ‘plastic palm trees.’ I wish the last song on the album would have had more power or emphasis because this feels like a letdown to close things out. Nothing about this song is very engaging to me. The melody does not grab me, the beat is too soft and the vocals are just okay. On ‘plastic palm trees,’ Tate Mcrae sings about how things are not always as great as they initially seem, and how sometimes life knocks you down after building you up. ‘plastic palm trees’ has a lyrical sentiment that could make it a statement way to end the album, but sonically it drops the ball.
Throughout this year, I have written about multiple albums that were built up with a ton of hype and ended up being disappointments. I keep saying that I am not going to buy into the hype and go into records with super high expectations, but I have to say I have yet to fully learn that lesson. Tate Mcrae was being praised as the next big Pop superstar, and I think it is easy to say she is a way away from that with THINK LATER. The high points of this album are excellent, but there are too many moments that feel plain and safe. It is as if her producers wanted to throw everything at the wall and have her check every Pop music box instead of focusing on the things she is good at. It is obvious that Tate Mcrae has a ton of potential, but as a whole, she does not realize that potential on THINK LATER. I think Tate Mcrae has a bright future and could end up being the face of Pop music one day, but she is not there yet.
EAST SIDE VIBES 