Songfacts®:

• One drawback of being a successful young woman in the music industry is the unsolicited advice and scrutiny that comes hurtling toward you at the speed of sound. Tate McRae, who has been navigating the choppy waters of fame since her teens, is well aware of this phenomenon, and in response, she did what any self-respecting artist would do: she wrote a song about it.
  
  "Purple Lace Bra," written by McRae with her regular songwriting partner Amy Allen, is not, as the title might suggest, an ode to lingerie, but a commentary on how others perceive women in the music industry.
• The line, "Did my purple lace bra catch your attention?" is both a question and a provocation, laying bare the frustrating reality that a hint of lace often turns more heads than sheer talent.
  
  McRae spoke about the song during a Spotify listening party, explaining that it was her way of reclaiming her own image rather than letting the media do it for her.
• Emile Haynie created the slow, R&B-influenced beat. Haynie is known for his work with artists like Florence + the Machine, Lana Del Rey and Eminem.
• McRae included "Purple Lace Bra" on her third album, So Close To What, an exploration of self-discovery, maturity, and the contradictions of early adulthood.
  
  "The album title encapsulates how I felt turning 21," she explained, "feeling like you're finally a woman while also wrestling with how the media portrays you."
  
  It's that stage of life where you're old enough to rent a car but still too young to be taken seriously.