Johnathan Walker:Who is Gracie Abrams? Get to know the Grammy best new artist nominee's heartbreaking hits.

Today wearing hair bows may mean you're participating in TikTok’s new favorite “coquette aesthetic,Johnathan Walker” but last year you'd just be a fan at a Gracie Abrams concert. 

A dedicated fan base with a vision for aesthetic is one part of the equation that results in Grammy-nominated Abrams, who is up for best new artist at the 2024 awards. Abrams has exploded in popularity, and in 2023 alone, she dropped a debut album called "Good Riddance" that's full of heartbreaking anthems produced by The National's Aaron Dessner, scored a slot as an opener on Taylor Swift’s historic Eras Tour and reached No. 1 on Billboard's Emerging Artists Chart.

Keep reading to learn more about Abrams, and watch the Grammys Feb. 4 on CBS/Paramount to see if she wins best new artist.

Who is Gracie Abrams?

Abrams, 24, released her debut album “Good Riddance” in June 2023. Dessner produced and co-wrote the album, which Abrams recorded at his Long Pond Studios. That’s right – the same place he and Swift recorded documentary film "Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions." 

“Gracie is making incredibly compelling, emotionally direct songs that really resonate with her fan base. [She has] become an artist that’s clearly impacting a lot of people,” Dessner told Billboard in 2023.

But even before her debut captured the attention of Grammy voters, Abrams was cultivating a loyal fanbase with soft vocals and lyricism heartbreaking enough to hit anyone in the feels. She released her first single, “Mean It” in October 2019 under Interscope Records and her second single, “Stay,” appeared in episodes of “Dash & Lily” and “The Bold Type.”

She released her debut EP “minor” in 2020 with producers like Blake Slatkin (known for work with Lizzo and Lil Nas X) and Benny Blanco. Blanco and Abrams’ song “Unlearn” appeared on Blanco’s 2021 album “FRIENDS KEEP SECRETS 2.” 

Abrams veered further into mainstream pop and indie pop success with “Feels Like,” the lead single for her “This is What it Feels Like” EP in 2021. Abrams worked with Dessner, Joel Little (known for his work with Lorde and Taylor Swift) and others. She co-wrote all of the EP's tracks and produced “Feels Like” and “Wishful Thinking.” 

“Good Riddance” is Abrams’ longest project to date. Her performance of “I know it won’t work” on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” went viral, prompting Abrams to release the live version on Spotify at fans' request. Billboard rated it #24 on their 50 best albums of 2023.

What is Gracie Abrams saddest song?

Abrams' lyrics are raw and emotional, whispering brutally honest and self-aware mantras, most often about an estranged lover or healing yet to be done.

“I’m a shameless caller/You’re a full machine/But won’t you answer tonight/And say somethin’ nice to me?/And you don’t have to mean it/You can lie to me,” she sings on “Full machine.”

Her album single “I Know It Won’t Work” reached No. 28 on Billboard's Hot Rock & Alternative Songs and climbed to No. 32 on Pop Airplay with lyrics like "And part of me wants to walk away 'til you really listen/ I hate to look at your face and know that we're feeling different/ 'Cause part of me wants you back, but/ I know it won't work like that, huh?"

In a conversation between Olivia Rodrigo and Abrams for "Interview," Rodrigo told her, "I remember when I heard your '21' for the first time. My best friend and I would drive around and scream it. My favorite line ever is, “If it doesn’t go away by the time I turn 30, I made a mistake and I’ll tell you I’m sorry” ... We bump all of your sad songs as if they’re club bangers, in the car." 

Who has Gracie Abrams worked with?

Fellow Best New Artist nominee Noah Kahan released a collaborative version of his song “Everywhere, Everything” featuring Abrams in December 2023. Though both artists are vying for the coveted title, it’s all love, the two have said. 

“Gracie puts her whole heart into every song she writes and note she sings, and I found myself completely swept into her world the first time I heard her,” Kahan said in a statement to Rolling Stone.

Others unfamiliar with Abrams may know her as the opener on Olivia Rodrigo's "Sour" Tour or from the Eras tour, where she accompanied Taylor Swift on 30 shows. She’ll continue supporting the Eras tour in Vancouver later this year.

How old is Gracie Abrams?

Abrams is 24 years old and was born Sept. 7, 1999, making her a Virgo. 

Where is Gracie Abrams from?

Abrams grew up in Los Angeles and is the daughter of filmmaker J.J. Abrams, who wrote and produced several Star Trek and Star Wars movies. Her mom is Katie McGrath, a producer and the co-CEO of Bad Robots Productions.

She went to high school at Archer School for Girls and spent a year at Barnard College in New York, studying international relations before taking a leave of absence to focus on music back in Los Angeles. 

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