Specializing in a stylized, moody modern pop -- a subtly shifting sound partially indebted to
Lorde -- singer/songwriter
Gracie Abrams cultivated an online following through a steady series of single releases appearing toward the end of the 2010s. She experienced a breakthrough in 2020 with the singles "21" and "I Miss You, I'm Sorry" from her EP
Minor. She also worked with
Benny Blanco on the high-profile 2021 track "Unlearn" before releasing her sophomore EP,
This Is What It Feels Like.
The daughter of movie director
J.J. Abrams,
Gracie Abrams was born on September 7, 1999.
Abrams began playing music when she was eight, starting with drums. Eventually, she picked up guitar, ukulele, and piano. As she entered her adolescence,
Abrams built a following through social media, her fan base leading to connections within the industry who were attracted to her early songs "In-Between," "Deep Red," and "And She Will Miss You." After graduating high school in 2018, she enrolled in Barnard College with the intention of majoring in international relations. She maintained her musical career, releasing an EP around the same time.
Abrams began releasing singles on Interscope in 2019, beginning with "Mean It"; "Stay" appeared before the end of the calendar year. Her 2020 EP
Minor yielded a pair of streaming hits in "21" and "I Miss You, I'm Sorry." The following year,
Abrams teamed up with
Benny Blanco on the collaborative single "Unlearn," while also issuing another solo track in "Mess It Up." Also in 2021, she released her second EP,
This Is What It Feels Like, featuring production by
Aaron Dessner,
Joel Little, and Blake Slatkin. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine