Tate McRae, I used to think I could fly | Album Review 💿

Canadian Gen-Z pop singer/songwriter Tate McRae shows promise on her debut album, I used to think I could fly.

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here’s a new crop of younger musicians making their mark.  Nope, it’s no longer those millennials like myself.  It’s Gen-Z! Canadian teen singer 🎙 Tate McRae has been building a name for herself over the past few years or so (all as a high schooler). Finally, ahead of her 19^th birthday, her debut album, 💿 I used to think I could fly, has arrived. The question is, is I used to think I could fly worthy of the hype? All in all, it is an enjoyable debut album that shows plenty of promise for the young Canadian. It’s not perfect nor particularly innovative, but there’s lots to like.

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“don’t come back” 

I used to think I could fly commences with a brief, spoken intro, 🎵 “?”, which highlights the album title (“And when I was younger, like, I used to think I could fly”).  Beyond that, it serves no purpose.  The first full-length track, 🤩 🎵 “don’t come back” is short, but relatively sweet. It’s well-produced (🎛 Styalz Fuego and 🎛 Charlie Handsome), sounding idiomatic of modern pop.  Tate McRae sings respectably, never overreaching vocally. She delivers catchy lyrics, with a tuneful melody, with the chorus leading the charge:

“If you wanna go ahead and lie to me

Throw it all out now, that’s fine with me, uh

If I’m not enough for you, honestly

I hope you don’t come back.”

“don’t come back” isn’t a groundbreaking start to I used to think I could fly, but respectable and successful all in all.

Once more, Tate McRae keeps things on the shorter side of the clock on 🎵 “I’m so gone.”  All in all, it works out for her. She brings attitude (+ some profanity) to the mix.  Vocally, she’s expressive and like the opener, 🎵 “don’t come back,” she brings ample attitude to the mix. “Don’t think you’re gonna get a second try,” she sings in the second verse, “When you’re out of options / All your bitches find out all you do is lie.” Ooh, wee! Clearly, Tate is done with him, as she should be! 🎵 “what would you do?” approaches three minutes, giving I used to think I could fly its longest song so far.  I heart the driving rhythmic guitars on the verse, with a touch of mellotron (keys) mixed in the back.  Furthermore, I like how the chorus contrasts, with more of a punk-pop-oriented vibe.  Like the songs preceding, McRae brings attitude, yet, at the same time, she doesn’t like refinement. “what would you do?” is fun, overall.

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“chaotic”

“A foot on the brake ‘cause it’s been making me carsick / How could you blame me? Growing up is chaotic.” Indeed, Tate McRae. McRae delivers a beautiful, transparent ballad with 🤩 🎵 “chaotic.”  Produced and co-written by 🎛 Greg Kurstin, the backdrop is gorgeous, including keys and a warm cello part.  Tate sings radiantly and expresses her feelings.  In the first verse, she asserts, “And I can’t stand my friends right now, we got nothing in common / But being lonely’s worse than just having friends that don’t care.”  Perhaps her most chaotic moment occurs in the bridge, where she speculates, “And maybe I’m just blowing all this shit up in my head.” Perhaps Tate, perhaps.

McRae sings softly, in an undertone initially on 🎵 “hate myself,” another ballad. In fact, she maintains this softer, gentler sound during the course of both verses. She begins her ascent in the pre-chorus, reaching higher heights during the chorus: “Oh, I didn’t think this over / Fell back when you got closer / After I just put your right through hell / You couldn’t hate me more than I hate myself.”  The chorus, like many on I used to think I could fly, is tuneful and marks one of the best moments of the song.  That said, the bridge stands out, if for no other reason than McRae’s powerhouse f-bombs.  Don’t worry, folks, it’s not the last f-bombs we hear from the Gen-Z star!

On the feisty 🤩 🎵 “what’s your problem,” McRae drops the bomb early, during the tuneful chorus where she criticizes this fool for his narcissism and screwing her up (“What’s your problem? / You think you’re a god / you came and fucked my life up when you knew that I was lost”). If that wasn’t spicy enough, in the first line from the first verse, Tate asserts, “I don’t give aa fuck about you like I used to.” Woo, girl! What I love about this particular track is that it feels like McRae lets loose more.  I’m not sure that she even had to use f-bombs to do so but she’s a bit spunkier and less composed than she has been much of I used to think I could fly.

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“she’s all I wanna be” 

“Stupid boy making me so sad / Didn’t think you could change this fast / She’s got everything that I don’t have / How could I ever compete with that?” The Gen-Z pop artist has a surefire hit on her hands with 🤩 🎵 “she’s all I wanna be”. McRae collaborates with pop master, Greg Kurstin, again. As always, the songwriter/producer puts together an excellent musical backdrop for his client.  I love the driving, rhythmic guitars, which gives this record a nice mix of pop/rock. As for McRae, she has a nice tone, riding the pop/rock backdrop with ease. She never over nor under sings, delivering a well-rounded performance all said and done.  Thematically, she paints a picture of being envious of what other girls have that she doesn’t. Why feel that way Tate? Well, these other girls woo these stupid boys, and she finds herself heartbroken.  Bummer! While this experience is made personal to her, it is applicable to any and every one, honestly.  The best moment of the song is the chorus, the centerpiece. “She’s all I wanna be” is a fun, relatable, and well-rounded pop song that will please Gen-Z but also anyone who enjoys a catchy pop record.

Appears in 🔻:

• Awesome Songs: February 2022
• 13 Songs Featuring Pronouns Galore

“Next time you move on / Like I know you’ll do / Tell me you won’t treat her like you did with me and you…” 🎵 “boy x” is the longest record from I used to think I could fly, running nearly four minutes in duration.  Tate takes a more serious tone, urging a nameless boy (boy x) to do right by other girls.  While I wouldn’t consider this record my personal favorite from the album, I like the idea and sentiment behind it.  On 🎵 “you’re so cool,” McRae continues to take issue with the opposite sex.  She has a reason of course – he’s an ex.  On this feisty, moderately paced pop joint, Tate criticizes his ego and is happy to be D-O-N-E with him… well, not so much, honestly. “Oh, you think that you’re so fucking cool (So cool) / Got a new girl and some new tattoos,” she sings in the chorus, adding, “Ooh, it’s driving me insane that I’m not over it / I can’t seem to get away from you (From you) / I would say ‘hi,’ but you’re way too fucking cool.”

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“feel like shit” 

“Usually never cry at all /… But it’s been a couple weeks now and I still feel stuck in my lungs.” Tate McRae feels like a four-letter word on her 2021 single, 🤩 🎵 “feel like shit,” which ultimately appears on her debut album. Why does she feel like sugar honey iced tea?  Well, it’s the lyrics: “Usually go out on nights / And not think of you once / But if they start playin’ that song / I can’t help but to think about us…” As you’d expect, it’s because of a boy! On this heartbroken, ‘s-bomb’ ballad penned by McRae, 🎼✍ Jacob Kasher Hindlin, 🎼✍ 🎛 Russell Chell, and 🎼✍ Victoria Zaro, she’s struggling to get over him. Right now, she just feels awful.  In the second verse, she attempts to atone for the breakup – losing him: “So, I kissed somebody else / Just to see how it felt.” Unfortunately, the kiss did nothing to rid of the great memories she had while she was with him. She simply can’t forget about him, something crystal clear in the chorus, where she hopes eventually to “get used to it.”  Giving her a lift is the warm, modern production work by Chell and 🎛 Jasper Harris.

Appears in 🔻:

• 13 Delightful “Sugar Honey Iced Tea” Songs

On the penultimate record 🎵 “go away,” it’s worth noting we get the album’s titular lyric shows up in the first verse: “You know, I used to think I could fly, now I’m just holding on.” What’s the context on this 🎛 Blake Harnage-produced number? Chronic heartbreak.  Tate regrets being wooed in, asserting, “Shouldn’t have played in your game of fun / Now I don’t think I’m okay, you never go away.” Oh, the plight of love. McRae concludes I used to think I could fly with ballad 🎵 “I still say goodnight,” yet another record where the brokenhearted-ness is pronounced.  Tate’s pain is our listening pleasure. She sings beautifully, exhibiting incredible vulnerability. The production is utterly sublime, unsurprising considering FINNEAS is behind the boards and co-writes with McRae.  Those strings = to die for.

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Final Thoughts 💭 

So, how does I used to think I could fly stack up? To reiterate, all in all, it is an enjoyable debut album that shows plenty of promise for the young Canadian. Again, it’s not perfect nor particularly innovative – no tour de force – but there’s lots to like. Tate McRae sings well and exhibits plenty of personality at times.  I’m not sure she distinguishes herself from others as much as I would like her to but, again, I like a lot of what she brings to the table. 

 

🤩 Gems 💎: “don’t come back,” “chaotic,” “what’s your problem,” “she’s all I wanna be” & “feel like shit” 

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🎙 Tate McRae • 💿 I used to think I could fly • 🏷 RCA • 🗓 5.27.22

 [📷: RCA]

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