Gracie Abrams exceeds expectations on sophomore album ‘The Secret of Us’

After her stunning debut album ‘Good Riddance,’ expectations were high for American singer-songwriter Gracie Abrams’ sophomore album, ‘The Secret of Us’. From the album cover (captured by Abrams’ longtime best friend Abby Waisler) and the first single, “Risk,” a playful and upbeat track accompanied by a wonderfully chaotic music video, Abrams was already teasing an exciting shift from the self-reflective and blue lyrics that have become her signature. With The Secret of Us, Abrams is more carefree and open as she experiments with folksy instrumentals and electric lyrics, and her confidence shines through as she works towards accepting the end of a relationship.

Album cover photo by Abby Waisler

The album feels like you are frolicking around with your best friends in the forest as you share silly secrets and laugh about crushes from elementary school. At other times, the album feels like you are dancing alone in your room, having the time of your life. Despite the tonal shift of the record and Abrams’ more upbeat and hopeful demeanor, Abrams delivers a self-reflective and personal album that fans will fall in love with upon first listen, and new listeners will be in for a delicious treat.

‘The Secret of Us’ is already a timeless masterpiece, thanks to Abrams’ self-aware, brutally honest, and bittersweet lyrics that feel like you are reading directly from her diary. Abrams has already established herself as one of the greatest lyricists of her generation, and she is just getting started! She is willing to spill all her secrets and leave everything on the table while also throwing in some humor and not shying away from showing us her playful personality.

Abrams opens with ‘Felt Good About You,’ a short but sweet and catchy track that balances the more chaotic and frantic lyrics and rhythm of “Risk.” A light and cheery Tamborine instrumental keeps the song breezy and light, but like always, the lyrics cut deep and piece the puzzle together: “Got me where you want me, in your palm it’s almost funny/All my friends they tried to stop me wanting you/But I was never meant to listen, not until I found a reason/It took all of me to walk away and choose.” Abrams admits where she went wrong and moves on without dwelling on the past or wishing she had done something differently.

These lyrics perfectly contrast with “Blowing Smoke,” a more charged and angry track accompanied by dark and fiery instrumentals. “Blowing Smoke” is a refreshing shift for Abrams and a standout from the album as she finally lets go and expresses her frustration like never before. Her vocals sizzle and pop as she confidently airs her grievances in a style that is so effortlessly her own: “But I bet you’re at her place right now/You couldn’t point her out in any crowd/Tell me, is she prettier than she was on the internet?/Are your conversations cool, like are you even interested?/I know what you are, brighter than the stars/Tell me if she takes you far/Far enough away from all the baggage you’ve been carrying/Up another hill to all the girls who’ll help you bury it/They’re just blowing smoke/I’ll say what they won’t/I know everything they don’t.” Again, these lyrics echo what someone might angrily scribble into their diary at 3 in the morning during a restless, hot summer night, yet Abrams keeps the song grounded and sophisticated.

photo by Abby Waisler

“I Love You, I’m Sorry” is like the older and wiser sister to Abrams’ “I Miss You, I’m Sorry,” released in April 2020. The instrumentals are more relaxed and the swaying rhythm is soothing as Abrams delivers one of the most outstanding bridges of her career thus far: “You were the best but you were the worst/As sick as it sounds, I loved you first/I was a dick, it is what it is/A habit to kick, the age-old curse/I tend to laugh whenever I’m sad/I stare at the crash, it actually works/Making amends, this shit never ends/I’m wrong again, wrong again.” Abrams mourns the end of a relationship while accepting that life is a mysterious and uncontrollable emotional rollercoaster that will ruthlessly pull you in every direction.

Another standout from the album, “Us,” featuring the one-and-only Taylor Swift, whom Abrams opened for during the Eras Tour last summer, captures the essence of the album perfectly. After Abrams joined Swift on stage at the Eras Tour to sing “I Miss You, I’m Sorry,” fans have been desperate for another collab, but never in our wildest dreams did we imagine we would get what is undeniably one of the best songs on the album. The lyrics are wistful, hopeful, breathtaking, and angry all at the same time, but the instrumentals are dainty and delicate. The song begins with a light and sparkling guitar but grows more passionate and powerful as the lyrics and heavenly harmonies become more intense: “That night, you were talkin’ false prophets and profits/They make in the margins of poetry sonnets/You never read up on it, shame, could’ve learned somethin’/Robert Bly on my nightstand, gifts from you, how ironic/A curse or a miracle, hearse or an oracle/You’re incomparable, fuck, it was chemical.” The song only gets better and more addictive as the instrumentals build and Abrams’ and Swift’s vocals grow stronger and more emotional.

In "Let it Happen", Abrams explores the exciting yet nerve-wracking experience of opening yourself up to someone when you fall in love. She reflects on how she had to change parts of herself to fall in love and how she ultimately became someone she did not recognize: "I bet all my money that I will/Lose to you and hand you my life/Here's to hoping you're worth all my time/I might barely know you, but still/Don't love you yet, but probably will/Turn me into something tragic/Just for you, I let it happen." This song echoes some of the same feelings as "Risk" but with a darker tone. Abrams remains self-aware, which makes the song relatable despite how intimate and personal the lyrics are. "Gave You I Gave You I" carries a similar feeling as Abrams reflects on how she hid so much of her true self to be able to make a relationship work: "Gave you my best days, gave you the deep pain/Gave you, I gave you, I gave you, I gave you, I/Am I what you wanted? Was I self-appointed?/I slowly moved into your house/All of my dark blue, covered it for you/But I'm just so embarrassed now." Abrams is aware of where she went wrong, but she knows that she is not fully to blame, which is a refreshing shift from the more self-critical tracks on 'Good Riddance.'

As The Secret of Us continues, Abrams becomes more confident in her decision to move on from the relationship. She is heartbroken but also more accepting of the fact that the relationship wasn’t meant to be. For example, on “Normal Thing,” the song peacefully fades out with the lyrics, “Had a good time, but I guess I’ll see ya/You’re a good guy, but I guess I’ll see ya (You’re a good guy, I guess I’ll see ya)/And you changed my life, but I guess I’ll see ya/’Cause it’s over now, so I guess I’ll see ya.” Abrams is more confident and a bit cheeky on “Tough Love,” a cheerful and catchy track that showcases Abrams’ feelings of acceptance and decision to move on without feeling like she is making a mistake: “For no chance I waste my twenties on random men/Not one of them is cooler than all my friends/And I hate to leave him bleedin’/But I know, know what I’m leavin’ for.” Abrams delivers these lyrics with an enthusiasm you can feel through her optimistic vocals as she ultimately decides to move on to find something better.

In “I Knew It, I Know You” and “Free Now,” Abrams is slightly more hesitant about her decision as she starts to wonder if the relationship could work despite the history. Abrams admits that maybe the relationship came at the wrong time but that in the future, given different circumstances, the relationship could work: “If you find yourself out, if there is a right time/Chances are I’ll be here, we could share a lifeline/If you feel like fallin’, catch me on the way down/Never been less empty, all I feel is free now.” However, in “I Knew It, I Know You,” despite some hesitancy, Abrams returns to reality and realizes she made the right decision: “But don’t you feel alone at night, or sorta, kinda daily?/Well I knew it, I know you, I called it/And it makes me wanna cry sometimes/But don’t you know the deal now?/But I just can’t pretend that I’m sorry/When I’m not sorry.”

“Good Luck Charlie” demonstrates Abrams’ unmatched lyricism and storytelling skills as she takes a step back from her relationship and reflects on the complicated feelings of watching two people you care for go their separate ways: “Good luck, Charlie/I hope you’re ready/’Cause this isn’t what you wanted/You know that it’s her or nothin’/Good luck, Charlie/I hope you’re happy.” Even if the relationship ends amicably, the feeling is bittersweet because you know life will never be the same. Despite “Good Luck Charlie” being about a completely separate relationship, Abrams can reflect on how the feelings of losing a friendship are similar to losing a romantic connection with someone. The song also carries a special significance for Abrams as she mentions her best friend Audrey Hobert, who directed the music video for “Risk.” Despite The Secret of Us being about romantic relationships, friendship is a central theme because not only did Abrams collaborate with many of her close friends throughout the process, but she also delivered an album that is worth dancing to with your childhood friends. No song on the album is more perfect to dance along to than the long-awaited “Close To You.” The song is catchy, upbeat, fun, silly, and energetic! If “Close To You” is not the song of the summer, I genuinely do not know what is.

Make sure to give The Secret of Us a listen if you have not already, and if you are craving more of Abrams' relatable lyrics and timeless ballads, which I am sure you will be, dive into her debut album Good Riddance and her EP This Is What It Feels Like.