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Chart Beat

Tate McRae Scores Her First No. 1 Album With 'So Close To What'

The Calgary star nudges Drake and PartyNextDoor's $ome $exy $ongs 4 U to No. 2 on both the Billboard Canadian Albums and the American Billboard 200 charts – a rare case of two Canadian albums in the top two slots.

Tate McRae
Tate McRae
Charlie Denis

Tate McRae is so close to superstardom.

The Calgary pop singer has notched her first No. 1 album with So Close To What, topping the Billboard Canadian Albums chart on the chart dated March 8. She bumps Drake and PartyNextDoor's $ome $exy $ongs 4 U to no. 2, there and on the Billboard 200 — a rare occasion where Canadians have the top 2 albums in both Canada and the U.S.


It marks a major ascension for the Canadian star, who has been building her profile since her breakthrough with 2020's "You Broke Me First." In the five years since, McRae has evolved into one of Gen Z's biggest singers and performers.

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She switched up the sad-pop style of that early single for 2000s radio pop throwback on her second album, 2023's Think Later, scoring a huge global hit with the "Promiscuous"-influenced "Greedy."

On So Close To What, she doubles down while also bringing in Miami bass, dancehall and more, delivering a record that splits the difference between referencing pop greats of the past and looking ahead.

McRae expressed her excitement at the No. 1 debut on Instagram.

She's accompanied the album rollout with videos that show off her skills as a top-tier dancer, especially in the video for recent single "Revolving Door," which is a showcase for McRae's sleek movements.

That song debuts at No. 13 on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 this week and No. 22 on the American Hot 100. Her highest placement is the sultry "Sports Car," which she performed on Saturday Night Live this past weekend. That track sits at No. 11 on the Canadian Hot 100 and No. 16 in the U.S.

McRae has 15 songs in total on the Canadian Hot 100 this week. She heads out on the Miss Possessive World Tour this month to extend her dominance, and will perform six Canadian dates in August.

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At the top of the Canadian Hot 100, ROSÉ and Bruno Mars' "APT." holds on for a second week. Mars also holds the No. 2 spot with his Lady Gaga duet "Die With a Smile." Lola Young's frustration anthem "Messy" also hits a new peak in the top ten at No. 7.

Sometimes when an album floods the Canadian Hot 100, it immediately disappears the week after, but that's not the case with $ome $exy $ongs. Drake and PartyNextDoor notch 16 tracks on the chart this week, though they are mostly falling, not climbing. "Nokia" drops 5-10 and "Gimme a Hug" moves down 10-39.

Check out the full charts here and all of Billboard Canada's charts here.

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Executive of the Week: Justin West of Secret City Records on the Secrets of Independent Music Success​
FYI

Executive of the Week: Justin West of Secret City Records on the Secrets of Independent Music Success​

The man behind one of Canada's most successful indie labels talks about the late-blooming success of French-language streaming record-holder Patrick Watson, why he builds long-term relationships with artists, and why it's important for the indie sector to work together.

Justin West is a leader and advocate in Canada’s independent music scene, but he didn’t plan it out that way. When he started his record label Secret City Records in Montreal in the mid-2000s, it was out of necessity. He had met an artist he loved and wanted to build a career with, and the label was a means to do it. That artist was Patrick Watson, and 20 years later he — and Secret City — are more successful than ever.

West — a multiple time Billboard Canada Power Player – leads one of the biggest indie labels in Canada while also advocating for the sector on multiple boards both locally and internationally. When we speak to him for this Executive of the Week interview, he’s just returned from Banff for the National Summit on Artificial Intelligence and Culture, and is a central figure in discussions around the Online Streaming Act and collective negotiations with online streaming platforms.

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