From making YouTube videos in her bedroom to topping the global charts, new pop star Tate McRae released her sophomore album “Think Later” on Dec. 8.

After her single “You Broke Me First” went viral in 2020, her music career took off. She released her debut album “I Used to Think I Could Fly” in 2022, and started hinting at her sophomore album a little over a year later. Since then, she has climbed her way to the top of the charts and is well known across the world.

Cut My Hair

Going into the album, this track name was unexpected. This song displays an upbeat tone that talks about wanting someone that is already in a relationship. One standout lyric is “Just wanna show you whatever she do, I can do it better”. This song will leave you feeling confident with little hints of jealousy. Overall, I would give “Cut My Hair” a 7/10 rating.

Greedy

This track was released as a single and went viral quickly. It is currently sitting at over 500 million streams. This is a very danceable track that makes you wanna listen more than once. This song is about choosing yourself and self love. This track speaks volumes to her younger, more vulnerable audience and allows for teens to relate. This is a good song but not a standout track for me because it is overplayed leaving me to not enjoy the song as much. With everything combined, this leaves me to rate it a 5/10.

Run For The Hills

This is the first time we are seeing a slower, more somber song on this album. This song goes into what it’s like being in love with someone you shouldn’t be. A stand out lyric would be “ The way you touch me, it straight to my heart yeah it cuts me.” The slower beat is different from the other tracks however, this makes this song stand out in a good way. “Run For The Hills” is a very good track leaving me to rate it a 8/10.

Hurt My Feelings

She immediately goes back into the more upbeat tone she had at the beginning of the album. This is another song about falling for someone you shouldn’t be. This does get repetitive however, each song is different in a way. This is one of the more relatable songs she has put out. Overall, I would rate “Hurt My Feelings” a 7.5/10.

Grave

This track explores more of her melancholy side. This is another slower song however this time, it is more somber than the last one. This track explores toxic relationships which has become more popular within the past few years. A stand out lyric would be “I could never make you want me like I wanted to be wanted”. This is a sad song and will leave you thinking. This song speaks volumes leaving it to be rated a 7.5/10

Stay Done

This is a slower track as well although it is not as melancholy as the previous one. McRae explores toxicity in relationships and does an excellent job at portraying someone that can not get over someone else. My favorite lyric from this track is “I know we should break up but I just can’t stay done with you.” This lyric stands out to me because it is more emotional and it is more relatable. “Stay Done” is a definite 8.5/10.

Exes

This was released as a single on Nov. 17. This is another great example of McRaes ability to go from sad songs to very upbeat and danceable tracks. This is my second favorite song on this album. This track is full of energy and will help build confidence as you listen. This track reminds me of older Britney Spears because of the energy it gives off. This song is a solid 9/10 for me.

We’re Not Alike

McRae goes into toxic friendships. This speaks volumes to her audience because most artists go over toxic relationships but not toxic friendships. It is hard finding music that is very relatable however, this song is relatable on many different levels. A highlight of this song is the lyric “she said she had my back but she held the knife.” This lyric shows how toxic friendships can be even when you don’t think it could reach a toxic level. I rate this song a 7/10.

Calgary

This is another song that is very relatable to the right people. This track goes over how it’s like going from a teenager to an adult. This also tackles the topic of pretending you’re fine but you really aren’t. A standout lyric would be “I thought that I was getting better No, I got better at pretending”. This is a standout track for me because of the emotion she put into the song. “Calgary” is 7.5/10 for me.

Messier

This is my personal favorite on the entire album. It is another slower song however, her vocals in this song are something different from the other tracks. This is another song on toxic relationships. She tackles more of the messy part of relationships. A stand out lyric would be “not sure if my mom would call this love”. This lyric stands out because it shows that this is not a normal relationship however, she still wants to be with him This track is a 10/10.

Think Later

“Think Later” is our first upbeat song in a while. This is another stand out track on the album. This one stands out because of the lyrics. One of the highlights of the song being “live now, think later.” This song goes over living in the moment and not thinking about your consequences when it comes to doing things. This is relatable for most teens (once again) because most teens try to live in the moment because you will never get these years back once they’re over. This is a 9/10 for me.

Guilty Conscience

This is sort of a follow up song to “Think Later”. It goes over what it’s like to go out and have fun but later realize the consequences. This is not a stand out track because there are better songs however, it is not the worst one. This track is a 6/10.

Want That Too

McRae goes into what it feels like to have someone in your life that wants everything you want or have. This explores topics of jealousy which is harder to find in the context she has put it in. Her vocals stand out to me the most in this song. This track is a 6/10.

Plastic Palm Trees

This track is the last track of the album and McRae definitely went out with a banger. She goes into what it’s like to accomplish things and thinks everything is perfect but when you look back on it, it was insignificant and didn’t matter. A stand out lyric would be, “thought that it was real, thought that it was worth it.” This being the last track leads me to rate it a 7/10.

Overall, this album has been a complete hit for McRae. I believe this to be one of the top albums of 2023 although it came out in december, she has made songs that are catchy and relatable, This album is one of my favorites and everyone should give her a listen at least once.