Gracie Abrams has been ready for stardom for a long, long time.
Her career has steadily risen over the years, taking her from underground Soundcloud artist to chart-topping pop star.
The whole time, she’s had her eye on the future.
“For me, longevity is the goal,” she toldELLEin May 2024.
This is the stunning transformation of Gracie Abrams.
Commenters were quick to point out that her father, director J.J. Abrams, is indeed quite famous.
I appreciated that," she toldW Magazine, noting she also lucked out because she loves the ocean.
“It kind of demystified Los Angeles,” she added.
“People say L.A. is this, like, really sexy place …
Sometimes it’s great.
Other times, it feels very isolating.”
Gracie acknowledges that her dad’s fame helped her decide on her path.
“I feel like I’ve been lucky,” she toldiHeartRadio Canada.
“I was lucky enough to grow up in a house with a piano,” she said.
That love of journaling has continued through to today, as Abrams explained toHunger.
“And then they leave my journal.”
Barnard is an all-women’s college, and Abrams enjoyed the dynamic that created.
Because there were no guys around, she didn’t have to be nervous in class.
“I still love it, and I didn’t drop out,” she clarified toThe Circle Sessions.
“I’m on a leave of absence, technically, so I will be going back someday.”
Still, though, she feels that it was definitely the right move.
“The decision just came from a place of being really curious about what could happen.”
Soon, she would find out.
One such source, she toldHarper’s Bazaar, was fellowsinger-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers.
Abrams, it seems, was a very early fan of the “Halloween” songstress.
“I’ve been obsessed with Phoebe since I was 11 years old,” she bragged in 2022.
“I found her on SoundCloud over a decade ago.”
“She was one of my first style influences,” Abrams said.
“She was wearing suits a long time ago, and I loved that immediately.
And she was just like, ‘F*** that.'”
It’s just been nice to talk to real people," Abrams toldThe Cut.
“Even if it’s not in person.”
By 2022,Olivia Rodrigo had taken notice, and she brought Abrams along on The Sour Tour.
They interviewed one another forInterview Magazine, excited about the summer they were about to spend on tour.
In the article, Rodrigo revealed she’d been a fan of Abrams for a while.
“I was absolutely obsessed,” she said.
I was so inspired by them."
It turned out the feeling was mutual.
“First of all, I did the same thing with your stuff,” Abrams said.
“My introduction to you was through your videos, your clips, and your covers.
But your originals blew my mind.”
Rodrigo praised Abrams' songwriting in particular, shouting out her specificity.
When Abrams tried to return the compliment, the “drivers license” singer insisted, “No.
I only learned it from you.”
That led to some pretty intense stage fright, which Abrams has been open about over the years.
After dropping several well-received EPs, Abrams launched her first album “Good Riddance” in 2023.
Speaking withTeen Vogue, she explained touring actually helped. "
The young singer soon decided she wanted to use that platform for good.
In a statement toRolling Stone, she discussed her reaction to the news.
“Once the shock settled, it turned into rage,” Abrams said.
The “Where do we go now?”
singer has also spoken about how her activism informs her songwriting.
She toldL’Officiel, “I can’t separate my music from my opinions.
It’s a whole that reflects my way of thinking.
You shouldn’t be afraid to talk about what you believe in.”
In an interview withThe Forty-Five, Abrams explained that writing music helped her heal.
Instead, Abrams had to concentrate on performing, looking to the closest members of the audience for reassurance.
She ruminated, “It’s just working on boundaries, and self-preservation and protection.
Thankfully, Abrams has some advice for what to do instead.
Better to read a poem, every time,” she said.
She toldRolling Stonethat the honor was a surprise, insisting she was super casual when she heard the news.
She didn’t ultimately win the award it went to Victoria Monet Abrams didn’t much mind.
In an interview withELLEabout the special moment, Abrams gushed that she’d been very emotional.
“Meeting Joni Mitchell is maybe the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” she said.
“I had tears in my eyes and kept internalizing, ‘Don’t cry in front of this woman.
She doesn’t need that.'”
She toldBillboardthat the song, called “Us,” was written in a fit of inspiration.
“Something caught our ear at the same time very hard and fast.
So we ran to the piano and started writing this song,” she explained.
“I used to fantasize about that kind of a thing as a kid.”
