In 2020, as everyone was, I was scrolling social media. Cruising YouTube, I came across a 21 year old Gracie Abrams playing her song “Long Sleeves” in a dark bedroom. Her fingernails scratching the guitar strings and her raw quiet emotional vocals led me to becoming infatuated with her first EP, “Minor”. As a 12 year old girl, for the most part I did not relate to any of the songs, but the production was what was most captivating. Since, I have continued to be a supporter and have watched the star grow in popularity, and in problems.
In her most recent album, “The Secret of Us”, the songs are solid, but as an avid fan, I cannot pretend to dismiss the cheap songwriting. In one of the internet’s current favorites, “Free Now”, the lyrics don’t seem to complete the story that Abrams is trying to convey, something critics said about one of Abrams’ biggest inspirations, Taylor Swift, in her most recent album, “The Tortured Poets Department”. As a listener, there seems to be a story she is attempting to tell the audience, but she hasn’t found the right words to say it, yet. This inability is obvious in multiple songs on the album including the hit song, “I love you, I’m sorry” and off the deluxe album, “I told you things”. But, these flaws do not matter when the artist lives in a time where all a musician needs is 15-30 seconds of the song to be sufficient enough to go viral on TikTok, as both “I love you, I’m sorry” and “Free Now” have.
To me, her most valuable songwriting presents itself in songs where Abrams is doing more introspective reflecting, seen in “Augusta” and “Camden” off her 2021 EP “This is what it feels like”. Abrams is a profound songwriter when reflecting, not storytelling, and for that I think she deserves every accolade that comes her way.
On Dec. 14, she was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live (SNL). She predictably sang her two biggest songs off her latest albums, both with strong vocals which is a rare occurrence for the singer that usually graces a whisper like sound. Her live performances showcase her ability to take her stripped back songs and put them in a world of their own, making the nonsense lyrics fall behind loud guitars and as the song evolves beautifully. Not only was this evident in her SNL performances, but also her Vevo Live recordings released as deluxe tracks on her latest album. Her ability to reimagine her songs in a live setting allows her to connect with the audience in a way that her studio tracks don’t always allow.
In future years I believe that Abrams has the potential to have a lasting impact on the music industry. In order to do this, she must combine the momentum of her live performances with the introspective songwriting style she has adopted for earlier projects.
