Tate McRae has given us one of the defining pop hits of 2023 with “Greedy”, and she’s been trying to live up to the hype she created with this song ever since. Her sophomore album Think Later kicked off the next chapter of her career and it proves she’s poised for pop stardom.
McRae rose to prominence during her time on So You Think You Can Dance and has been hailed as the next main pop girl and triple threat following the release of her viral hit “Greedy”. This song did a great job setting the stage for her sophomore album Think Later, followed by the catchy breakup anthem “Exes” as its second single.
McRae described Think Later as an album about “the all-too-relatable feelings of falling in love and embracing the raw emotions that you experience as a result of leading with your intuition and heart”—and it shows. Relationship drama, breakups, and unrequited love are some of the most common themes explored on this album, and McRee rarely strays from them.
Despite exploring all-familiar themes and giving us a number of songs that will fade away after the first listen, Think Later still does a great job showcasing McRee’s talent. The first half is the album’s strong suit, and she knocks it out of the park with the trifecta of “Cut My Hair”, “Greedy”, and “Run for the Hills” at the very start.
The second half is less memorable, and the album’s ballads feel like fillers, which is quite disappointing when you consider that she broke into the scene with the gut-wrenching “You Broke Me First”. McRae herself said herself that “sad girl bit got a little boring”, so it’s not a shocker to see her leave this era behind.
Think Later sees the young singer fully embrace her new sound and confidently walk into the next stage of her career. She’s certainly not breaking any new ground with her sophomore effort, but we’ll still have fun watching her dance her way to the top.
