Gracie Abrams’ sophomore album, “The Secret of Us (Deluxe),” was released on October 18, 2024, only one year after her debut album, “Good Riddance,” which was released on June 16, 2023. Yet the distinctive sound of bedroom pop lingers. In “The Secret of Us,” Abrams’ producer, Aaron Dessner, gives her the sad and dramatic instrumentals that are the cherry on top for her songs. The deluxe version features four new songs and three songs live from Vevo.
I feel like the background music truly pulls her songs together, and, like with most musical artists, are what grabs my attention. Her instrumentals are what got me into becoming a fan. Not only does Abrams have a great producer and a distinctive voice, but her storytelling gives her an opening to become the next pop-it-girl.
Speaking of pop it-girls, Abrams has one feature: her good friend Taylor Swift on the track “us.” This track shows clear inspiration from Swift’s previous work, whether it be the possible slight nod to “Cowboy Like Me” from Swift’s album “Evermore,” or the way Abrams and Swift vocalize. The overall production of this song shows me it’s worthy of its Grammy nomination. Not only this album, but Abrams’ entire discography, shows me why Swifties have nicknamed her “Taydaughter.” Her music has obvious inspiration from Swift and her impact on pop as a whole.
In the track “Free Now,” the instrumental changes from slow to upbeat, a change that immediately made me think of the song “Happier Than Ever” by Billie Eilish. Eilish and Abrams are both known for their more somber sides of pop in a genre that consists of upbeat songs.
Possibly the most popular track off of this album, “I Love You, I’m Sorry,” (ILYIS) is a sequel to a previous song, “I miss you, I’m sorry.” ILYIS is beautiful, and I’m glad it caught fire on social media. She sings about navigating a breakup and her regrets in the relationship. The song is almost like a story, as she narrates what she is doing and her feelings. With the line, “Wistfully lean out my window and watch the sun set on the lake,” I almost feel like I’m in her shoes. The dramatization of verses brings the song together and her live version is even better. In the live version of this song, all Abrams does is sing a higher note in her final chorus. Yet, that note change changes the entire feel of the song.
As much as I love the variety of this album, some songs are much more melancholy both lyrically and musically. For example, “Normal Thing” and “Free Now” are beautiful tracks, yet are more like tracks I would listen to when daydreaming while looking out of my car window pretending to be the main character of a coming-of-age movie.
Nonetheless, the dramatic ballads of breakups and hardships of life work perfectly for Abrams, and her success is something I’m happy to see and hopeful to watch flourish. My favorite songs on this album are “I Love You, I’m Sorry,” “I Knew It, I Know You,” “Close to You,” and “That’s So True,” and my two skips are “Good Luck Charlie” and “Cool.” I would give this album four stars out of five, only because some songs simply are not my taste.
