From bedroom performances to Grammy nominations, this is how Gracie Abrams is carving her own path

There are no dancers, no elaborate stage set-ups, and no outfit changes. At a Gracie Abrams concert, the spotlight is solely on her. As the crowd sings every word back to her, it’s clear that Gracie doesn’t need flashy performances to create magic. The heartfelt vulnerability she shares with her fans is enough to fill the room, making her show feel personal and unforgettable.  

Gracie Abrams is part of a new wave of artists redefining what it means to connect through music in the digital age. From performing intimate Zoom concerts during the pandemic to opening for Taylor Swift on the Eras Tour, she is carving her own space in the music industry with authentic lyrics that resonate with fans. 

Growing up in Los Angeles, Abrams was no stranger to the entertainment world. Her father J.J. Abrams is the well-known director behind such movies like Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and Star Trek into the Darkness. Her mother Katie McGrath is a producer and co-founder of the production company Bad Robot. Naturally, her background has sparked conversations about nepotism. Abrams acknowledges and understands why people bring it up when discussing her rise in music. “It’s undeniable that there is a privilege in having grown up around the knowledge of what the entertainment world looks like at all.” Still, she says that her success didn’t come from her last name alone. “Songwriting for me was always just a personal outlet to deal with my experiences without having to talk to anyone, especially my parents.” 

Unlike many overnight success stories, Abrams’s path to fame was more gradual. Her first single, “Mean It” released in 2020 introduced audiences to her introspective style. This track, along with her debut EP Minor attracted a dedicated following, but mainstream success was still on the way.  

At the core of Gracie’s appeal is the emotional honesty in her songwriting. Her lyrics are often like vulnerable diary entries, which allows fans to see their own feelings reflected in her music. In the song “Free Now,” she sings, “Never been less empty, all I feel is free now,” capturing the hard but freeing feeling of letting go or moving on from someone who couldn’t fully show up. Whether she is singing about heartbreak, anxiety, or the pains of growing up, her words and emotions resonate with listeners. That openness has helped her build a loyal fanbase, especially among young listeners who turn to her music for comfort.  

As her career has evolved, so has her sound. Initially, Abrams’s music was soft and stripped back.  Her early songs, like “Brush fire” and those on her second EP, This Is What It Feels Like, were quiet and personal with minimal production. But as her career has grown, so has her musical style. Her newer music keeps that emotional and introspective style, but the production is more polished with subtle pop influences that give the songs a wider audience. Despite this shift, Abrams has stayed grounded in her indie roots, proving that it’s possible to expand your music without losing your essence. 

When Covid shut down live music, Gracie Abrams had to get creative. Instead of playing traditional shows, she performed on Zoom, singing from her bedroom to fans in little squares on a screen. “[It was] the exact same thing that I would do on Instagram,” she said, “but [this time] I would see little people in squares.” These virtual concerts made her connection with her fans even stronger. When she finally performed live, the same fans who had watched her from their rooms were now singing her lyrics back in sold-out venues.  

Still, stepping on stage wasn’t always easy for Abrams. She confesses that she wasn’t always comfortable performing. In fact, she used to be the kind of artist that would puke before a show. Not out of drama, but out of pure stage fright. “It wasn’t just, ‘Oh, I’m a little nervous,’” she says now, laughing. “It was full-on I’d be puking for hours in the middle of the night.” But over time and through experience, things began to shift. “Now I just love it,” she says, describing a new sense of comfort and joy in performing live. 

That growth was especially evident when Abrams joined Taylor Swift on the North American leg of the Eras Tour. It was a pivotal moment in her career, giving her the chance to perform in front of tens of thousands of people who might otherwise never have encountered her music. Over the course of 49 shows, Abrams wasn’t just playing to massive crowds; she was introducing herself to an entirely new audience. However, the impact of the Eras Tour went beyond mere exposure. Abrams and Swift seemed to have formed a genuine friendship, one that led to their collaboration on the song Us, a track from Abrams’s latest album. 

The song was nominated for a Grammy for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, a moment that felt almost surreal for Abrams. “It’s such a crazy, full circle [moment] to be nominated for a Grammy with Taylor, who I grew up idolizing,” she said in an interview.  

Abrams recalls the night that she and Swift wrote Us as one of the most memorable, yet chaotic, writing sessions of her career. The evening started innocently enough with dinner and wine. But by 2 a.m., Abrams and Swift had turned the kitchen into their own little stage, dancing around the island and playing demos back and forth. Somewhere between the laughter and the chaos, they stumbled upon the guitar riff that would become the iconic opening of Us. The creative energy was so intense that by 6 a.m. they had written the entire song. 

However, things took a wild turn when a candle that they’d lit earlier burst into flames. “Taylor grabbed the fire extinguisher, but it took a few tries before she was able to put it out. We were both left coughing for weeks after.” Despite the chaos, Gracie says the whole experience was worth it in the end. “It was crazy, but the song Us came out of that night. So, it was worth it!” 

Even with a growing audience, Abrams has remained grounded in her approach to music-making. For her, songwriting isn’t just about making hits; it’s about expressing herself. “Writing music has always come from a place of needing to get something down—it’s always been my outlet since I was a kid,” she said in an interview with iHeart.  

That personal connection to her work is what keeps her grounded, even as her career grows.  

“It feels like the industry doesn’t always reward artfulness, and taking that risk is something I value,” she added.  

In an industry that moves fast, Abrams is choosing authenticity, and fans are responding. 

Cover Image: Fox