Tate McRae opens up about the shock of her leaked album and how she reclaimed her music.

Tate McRae was left stunned and devastated when her highly anticipated third album, So Close to What, leaked online ahead of its official release. The 21-year-old singer opened up about the emotional fallout during a Spotify listening event in Los Angeles on 18 February, revealing how she initially felt powerless but ultimately turned the setback into creative fuel.

“Unfortunately, a lot of the album got leaked, which was a f****** bummer,” McRae admitted. “And I think obviously that makes you look at the project differently.”

Like any artist who puts their heart and soul into their work, McRae was crushed when she realised unfinished versions of her songs were circulating online. “I was just so devastated because I’m like, ‘There’s nothing I can do about this. The whole project is online,’” she recalled.

Turning a Setback into Strength

Instead of dwelling on the loss, McRae channelled her frustration into her music. She made the bold decision to head back into the studio and write new material, determined to reclaim control of her album’s narrative.

“I wrote a song called Like I Do and Bloodonmyhands and just [tried] to grab as much control back as I could in that kind of situation,” she explained, as quoted by People Magazine.

McRae was particularly frustrated that the leaked tracks were unfinished demos—versions that didn’t fully represent her artistic vision. “The demo never sounds how you want it to sound. There’s so much missing,” she said. “At that point, I was just like, ‘Ah, they’re not done or how I want them.’ And that was hard.”

A Special Collaboration with The Kid LAROI

Despite the chaos, So Close to What will include a highly anticipated collaboration—McRae’s first-ever song with her boyfriend, The Kid LAROI.

“It was a really funny process because me and Laroi have never really taken each other seriously,” she admitted while discussing their track, I Know Love.

Writing music together as a couple came with its own unique challenges. “You know when you’re in a relationship, and you sing around each other, you don’t really sing,” she laughed. “So, it’s a little stressful being in the studio, singing and writing in front of him. But it was a cool experience to watch him in his process.”

Pushing Forward Despite the Leak

McRae’s determination to salvage her album reflects her growing confidence as an artist. Rather than letting the leak define So Close to What, she used it as an opportunity to refine and evolve her sound.

The final album will be different from what was leaked, with McRae making adjustments to ensure fans hear the polished versions of her songs as she intended. “There was so much more I wanted to add, so much more I wanted to fix,” she said.

With the album’s release now back on track, McRae is proving that even in the face of setbacks, she refuses to let anything—or anyone—steal her moment.