Gracie Abrams

by Claudio Lancia
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Born in the Los Angeles area of California on September 7, 1999, Gracie Madigan Abrams is a singer-songwriter with notable parents: her mother is the acclaimed film producer Katie McGrath, her father is JJ Abrams, one of the ten most celebrated directors in the world. After signing with Interscope, Gracie released a couple of EPs, “Minor” in 2020 and “This Is What It Feels Like” the following year, and was picked to open dates on the hugely successful Sour Tour by Olivia Rodrigo. In 2023 came her debut album, “Good Riddance” (which earned her a nomination at the Grammy Awards in the “Best New Artist” category), and Abrams became the opening act for about thirty dates on the first American leg of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour. That alone would be enough to land someone in the stratosphere: just ask Ed Sheeran, Camila Cabello or Charli XCX. But that's not all…
“The Secret Of Us”, Gracie Abrams' second album, released in June 2024, was produced and written together with Aaron Dessner of The National, a key collaborator of Swift's since 2020, particularly on the two pandemic-era albums, “Folklore” and “Evermore”, the records that won over the American singer-songwriter with the indie crowd, who up to that point had largely snubbed her, dismissing her as a passing, overrated phenomenon. To launch “The Secret Of Us”, a duet between Gracie and Taylor was also put together, “us.”, a song that for a few days was among the most streamed in the world on Spotify, pulling the whole album to number 2 on the US sales chart and even to number 1 in the UK (dethroning Swift herself, if only for a week). It also topped the charts in Australia, the Netherlands and Scotland, and reached the podium in New Zealand, Belgium and Ireland: not bad at all. Speaking of “us.” (note: it's track n° 5), the work of the Swift-Dessner-Antonoff-Abrams foursome, it sounds like an outtake from “The Tortured Poets Department”, a perfect refraction of the same introverted mood. And for a few days Gracie became the center of the universe, in Taylor's shadow.
It's certainly not one song, or a bit of borrowed atmosphere, that can guarantee consistent results, but for now Abrams is a hit: she's a guest on the most-watched American TV shows and presales for the promotional tour are going extremely well, a tour that will also reach Milan's Unipol Forum on February 25, 2025. The main flaw of “The Secret Of Us” lies in its hyper-derivative style: intimate songs about broken hearts, written as open letters, as if the singer-songwriter were opening up her secret diaries to the world, dwelling repeatedly on the subject of ex-boyfriends. Nothing that hasn't already been done by Swift, with the exact same super-engaging choruses (“Risk”), the exact same melancholic country-oriented atmospheres (“I Love You, I'm Sorry”, watch out for the bridge, the swifties will be tearing their hair out), the exact same irresistibly danceable pop tracks (“Close To You”). But despite the obvious carbon-copy effect, in the end it all works pretty well, including a few standout moments, such as a “Blowing Smoke” elevated in its closing by Dessner's gentle electric guitar, and a “Free Now” that, toward the end of the album, offers a flash of real elegance.
There are plenty of acoustic tracks (“I Knew It, I Know You”, “Gave You I Gave You I”, “Good Luck Charlie”), fittingly alternated with slightly more upbeat offerings (“Tough Love”), but the whole project is steeped in a pronounced pop sensibility (“Let It Happen”), enriched by the presence of folk guitars and string arrangements, with Gracie doing everything she can to come across as someone who isn't faking it, who wants to tell all her truths, all her secrets (hence the title) to her fans, who are finding in her a new heroine — this time, one their own age. The impression is that much of the credit lies with Aaron Dessner's touch, who, as ever, has the pull to bring a few friends along: in this case Bon Iver lends a hand playing guitars, synths and piano on several occasions. Matt Berninger must be rubbing his hands together: just a few days ago, the Cincinnati singer gave an interview in which he pointed out how collaborations with Taylor Swift have had a huge knock-on effect on The National's career, and how much the number of girls attending their concerts has grown. Speaking of which: Abrams will once again take on the role of opening act for the Eras Tour on the upcoming fall dates in the United States.
After a longer-than-expected break between records, the announcement finally comes on May 11, 2026: “Daughter From Hell”, Gracie Abrams' third album, will be released on July 17. Along with Abrams' post comes one from Aaron Dessner too, who collaborated on the making of the record as co-writer and co-producer of all sixteen tracks. The first single, “Hit The Wall”, is out on May 14. The sense is that this time Gracie has made the definitive leap in quality: there are reflective lyrics and shadowy melodies led now by acoustic guitars (“Death Wish”, the poignant “Good Reason” and “Sober”), now by piano (“The Knife”, the more upbeat “Men Like You”, “Broke My Heart”, “Mews”), the usual reverence toward Swift (listen, for instance, to “Minibar”, which tries to pick up the pace for a couple of minutes) and clear affinities — hardly new ones — with Olivia Rodrigo (“Look At My Life”) and Lorde (“Hit The Wall”). What breaks up the pace, above all, is the title track, the album's standout, built on simple electric guitar progressions (electricity, at last, even if the mood remains fairly subdued throughout) along with a few thrilling crescendos that Abrams is skilled at climbing vocally, creating perfect whispering-pop-song moments (the ending of “Humming” is a notable example). Dessner's touch, whatever instrument he happens to be playing, is as unmistakable as ever, though it leaves behind a couple of objectively forgettable moments (“Imaginary Friend”, “Afflictions”). Bon Iver appears on “Broke My Heart” and “Humming”, while Marcus Mumford, with “What If It's Right?”, returns the favor for Gracie's presence on “Badlands” (from the recent “Prizefighter”). While the “Folklore” / “Evermore” double bill remains the project she keeps drawing on most heavily for inspiration, with “Daughter From Hell” Gracie Abrams delivers a new chapter of intimate, confessional indie-folk that, alongside the usual acoustic minimalism, includes a (successful) attempt to refine and broaden her artistic language, exploring more expansive, layered sonic territories, often underpinned by more complex string arrangements. You can sense the desire to push beyond the idea of “bedroom pop” and embrace a more mature indie-(pop)-folk, capable of filling both the intimate space of bedroom listening and that of arenas. An unfiltered exploration that is beginning to fully define the singer-songwriter's complex transition into adulthood, freeing her from any cumbersome comparisons so she can finally just be herself, with all her vulnerability intact.