Gracie Abrams released her first album last month, and I was not prepared for how good it would be. My roommate and I played it as soon as it was added to Spotify, and totally freaked as each song was more amazing than we could have imagined.
I feel like I need to choose a top three... which is basically impossible. But if I must choose, I think they would be "Full machine," "Best" and "Difficult." (Not in any particular order of course).
Below I discuss every song and how I feel about it. I am certainly a lyrics person when it comes to music, so be prepared for many lyrics analyses.
Best
Her voice is SO PRETTY. The chorus is catchy, so it's easier to learn the lyrics for this song than some of her others. It's also really cool that she wrote about her being the problem in a relationship, because she's so raw and authentic without being dishonest about what happened. Once I started really listening to the lyrics, I realized how sad the song really was:
"You were there all the time
You're the worst of my crimes
You fell hard, I thought 'good riddance'"
Also, her voice when she says "good riddance" is amazing, I'm obsessed.
I know it won't work
Will I announce how pretty her voice is for every song? Possibly. But I also love how this song feels like a journal entry, it feels like Gracie is giving us a very personal piece of her:
"And down the road
You will love me until you resent me, mmm"
And one of my favorite lyrics from this song:
"Just brush me off
'Cause I'm your ghost right
now, your house is haunted"
While she fears she may not be lovable, she will be remembered.
This song reminds me a lot about "Anti-Hero" by Taylor Swift.
Full machine
When I heard this song, I decided it would be one of my favorites without really knowing why. I love the beat and the sound, but as I listen more closely I also love the lyrics. Specifically the chorus:
"I almost lost it
I'll heal eventually
But faster if you're next to me, next to me
I'm codependent
But tryin' hard not to be
I'm better when you're next to me"
Gracie is a lyrical genius, I swear it's like listening to poetry.
"It's just that I'll always choose
you
I'm a forest fire
You're the kerosene
I had a life here before you
But now it's burnin'
I know I know better"
I like how she's practically whispering the entire song, except for the chorus. It feels more like an intimate conversation within the verses, and then she shares the chorus which her her personal perspective on the experience.
Where do we go now?
The chorus originally felt repetitive, but when analyzing the lyrics I realize that it was definitely a genius idea. She is repeating the question in her mind and feeling consumed by it, which is what she is showing in her song.
Again, Gracie is realizing she doesn't love her boyfriend the same way he loves her. Because of that, she doesn't know what to do.
"Like I miss you
But when I kissed you back, I
lied
You don't know how hard I tried"
...
"There's nothin' left here
All our best years are behind
What a brutal way to die
But you choose it every time"
This song is her searching for an answer in a difficult situation, feeling the heartbreak of leaving him but realizing she can't stay.
"I know I changed overnight
So I can't blame you for fightin'"
...
"'Cause now I'm half of myself
here without you
You're the best in my life and I
lost you"
...I should hate you
Firstly, while this song is explicit, Gracie always records a clean version for those interested.
The song starts in a very relatable way, where Gracie writes of her actions when slowly losing it after heartbreak.
"Last night, I spiralled alone in the kitchen
Making pretend that the furniture listened
Wasn't the best of my mental conditions, but I tried
Thinkin' of you without any forgiveness"
She knows she should hate him for everything that happened, but can't bring herself to do it:
"After all of this time, I still get disappointed
Bet you're doin' alright and you don't even know it
How it's all 'cause of you that my standards are broken in my mind
I would bend back to you if you left the door open"
I also like how her voice appears to crack at times when she sings "I know that I should hate you," because it feels so emotional.
Will you cry?
Let me start by saying yes, I most certainly will.
Basically all of Gracie Abrams songs seem to be sad, but I certainly can't complain because she always does fantastic. She is singing from the perspective of losing someone she once loved as they change in a way she can't join.
"Where I walk, you don't follow"
You can hear her heartbreak:
"Will you cry if I let go?
Pieces broken
All we left unspoken
Aimless hopin'"
She truly doesn't know how he would react if she ended the relationship. She feels alone, unheard, and unseen.
Amelie
This song was released a while before the album, but it took me a while to warm up to it. It's a soft song, with her question repeating: "Where did you go, Amelie?"
After hearing it a few times, it feels like a warm and peaceful song. It's about how much each relationship, however small and short, lasts in our lives. Everyone we meet has had a hand in shaping us.
Also, I 100% relate to this line:
"She cried about her obsessions"
Difficult
This song was also released before the album, and I love it. It has more of an upbeat sound, though it could not be any sadder. She's thinking about everything she's dealing with, why she's acting this way, and realizing that she's just difficult.
"I've been drinkin'
And stayin' up too late, relivin'
bad decisions
I thought eventually, my
ranting here would fix it"
She thought she would be able to overcome these feelings and emotions, but even after all of her songwriting and trying to feel and understand what she is going through, she still can't overcome it.
This is what the drugs are for
This song starts similarly to "Ho, Hey" by The Lumineers, which I think is funny.
Another heartbreaking song about an ending relationship! It's almost as if that's what she means by "Good Riddance."
While the lyrics and title obviously show her desperation, I feel that her voice also conveys that which I love.
"What am I supposed to do
When you used to be my
lifeline?
I've counted all the days
Since you walked away
Look, now I'm alone again"
Fault line
This song just feels so different to me, I really like her melody. She is so good at helping her listeners feel and relate to what she has felt. You can tell exactly how she felt and all the thoughts that went in her mind, it's as if you are transported to that time.
Each song feels like a well-written journal entry, which is amazing.
"All my imaginary friends are
scared of you
I've gone and cried to them in
my bedroom
Most nights, I will pretend I left this sooner"
The blue
Finally a happy, love song! It, again, sounds beautiful and her voice is majestic. Gracie is realizing that even though she never meant to, she's falling in love with someone who truly sees her.
"You tell me on the phone
You really want to meet my
family
What are you doing to me
now?"
...
"I know I'd let you in
On all my bad decisions
You make them feel less
terrible
The second that you listen"
...
"You came out of the blue like
that
I never could've seen you
coming
I think you're everything I've
wanted"
Gracie never meant to fall in love, but she has "out of the blue." She feels heard, seen, and loved. She feels happy.
Right now
This song is the perfect song for moving away from home! She sings of feeling homesick as she tries to move on from home, and create a new one. While it was scary and hard, she realizes that it was a good choice. She has found herself.
"Left my past life on the
ground
Think I'm more alive,
somehow
I feel like myself right now"
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