Gracie Abrams is an American singer and songwriter known for intimate pop songs, reflective lyrics, and a soft vocal style that has connected strongly with young listeners. Her full name is Gracie Madigan Abrams, and she was born on September 7, 1999, in Los Angeles, California. She began releasing music professionally after signing with Interscope Records, and her career grew through early projects such as Minor and This Is What It Feels Like. Interscope lists her debut EP Minor as a July 2020 release, followed by This Is What It Feels Like in November 2021 and her debut album Good Riddance in 2023.
Abrams belongs to a generation of artists whose work is often shaped by emotional detail rather than large theatrical concepts. Her songs usually focus on relationships, self-reflection, regret, uncertainty, and the private thoughts that come after personal change. The Recording Academy describes her as a singer-songwriter associated with emotionally charged songwriting and a blend of indie folk and pop influences.
Early Life and Family Background
Gracie Abrams was born and raised in Los Angeles, a city closely linked with film, television, and music. She is the daughter of filmmaker J.J. Abrams and producer and executive Katie McGrath. Public reporting also identifies her siblings as Henry and August. People notes that J.J. Abrams and Katie McGrath have long been public figures through their work in entertainment and production, while Gracie has built her own career in music.
Because her father is a well-known filmmaker, Abrams is sometimes discussed in the wider conversation about artists with famous families. That background is part of her public biography, but it does not fully explain her career. Her professional identity has been shaped mainly by songwriting, recorded music, touring, and collaboration with major musicians and producers. A neutral biography should recognize both facts: she came from a well-known creative family, and she has also developed a separate body of work as a recording artist.
Public information about her private life is limited compared with her music career. For that reason, a trustworthy profile of Gracie Abrams should focus mainly on verified details: her releases, collaborations, awards, performances, and public statements connected to her work.
Career Beginnings
Abrams signed with Interscope Records and released her debut single “Mean It” in 2019. Her first major project, Minor, arrived in 2020 and introduced her quiet, diary-like songwriting style to a wider audience. Interscope’s artist page confirms that Minor was her debut EP and that it was released through the label in July 2020.
The EP included songs that helped shape her early reputation, especially “I Miss You, I’m Sorry.” That track became one of her signature early songs because of its direct emotional language and simple, memorable structure. Rather than presenting heartbreak in a dramatic way, Abrams often writes from the perspective of someone still processing events in real time. This approach became a major part of her appeal.
Her second EP, This Is What It Feels Like, followed in November 2021. Interscope identifies “Feels Like” and “Rockland” as singles from that project. The project expanded her sound while keeping the same personal tone. It also strengthened her relationship with listeners who wanted pop music that felt closer to a journal entry than a polished public statement.
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Breakthrough With Good Riddance
Gracie Abrams released her debut studio album, Good Riddance, on February 24, 2023. Universal Music Canada, in a press release for “Where do we go now?,” described the album as produced by Aaron Dessner of The National and released through Interscope/Universal Music Canada.
Good Riddance was an important turning point because it presented Abrams as more than a promising new artist. It showed that she could carry a full album with consistent themes and a mature emotional voice. The album focused on endings, accountability, memory, and emotional growth. The production was restrained, allowing the writing and vocal tone to remain central.
The Recording Academy states that Good Riddance helped lead to Abrams’ nomination for Best New Artist at the 66th Grammy Awards. The Recording Academy’s official nominations list also includes Gracie Abrams in the Best New Artist category for that Grammy season. Although she did not win the award, the nomination marked a major recognition point in her career.
The Secret of Us and Wider Mainstream Success
Abrams’ second studio album, The Secret of Us, expanded her public reach. Interscope’s official store and artist pages list The Secret of Us among her major releases, alongside Good Riddance, Minor, and This Is What It Feels Like. The Recording Academy notes that the album included songs such as “us.” featuring Taylor Swift and “That’s So True.”
The song “us.” became especially notable because it brought together Abrams and Taylor Swift, one of the most commercially successful songwriters of her era. The Recording Academy’s 2025 Grammy list includes “us.” by Gracie Abrams featuring Taylor Swift as a nominee for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.
Another major milestone came with “That’s So True.” Official Charts states that the song became Abrams’ first UK Number 1 single after being released in November 2024 as part of the deluxe version of The Secret of Us. People also reported that “That’s So True” peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, showing that the song became a significant commercial breakthrough in the United States as well.
Songwriting Style and Musical Identity
Gracie Abrams is often described as a songwriter first and a pop performer second. Her music usually avoids heavy vocal display and focuses instead on phrasing, emotional timing, and lyrical honesty. The common themes in her work include heartbreak, uncertainty, friendship, anxiety, regret, and the difficulty of understanding one’s own choices.
Her songs often sound conversational. This is one reason her audience connects strongly with her writing. Instead of presenting emotions as simple or finished, she often writes from the middle of confusion. That makes her music feel personal without requiring the listener to know every detail of her private life.
Musically, Abrams’ work fits within modern pop, indie pop, folk-pop, and singer-songwriter traditions. The Recording Academy connects her early work with indie folk and pop, while also emphasizing emotional songwriting as a central part of her identity.
Collaborations and Creative Partners
Abrams has worked with several important names in contemporary pop and alternative music. Aaron Dessner has been one of her most important creative collaborators, especially on Good Riddance and later material. Dessner’s production style often uses soft textures, acoustic details, and understated arrangements, which match Abrams’ reflective writing style.
Her collaboration with Taylor Swift on “us.” became one of her most visible partnerships. The song’s Grammy nomination gave Abrams another major recognition point and connected her more closely with a global pop audience.
She has also been publicly linked through songwriting or collaboration with artists and writers such as Audrey Hobert, Benny Blanco, Selena Gomez, and others. People reported that Abrams collaborated with Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco on “Call Me When You Break Up” in 2025.
Tours and Live Performances
Live performance has played a major role in Abrams’ growth. People reports that she opened for Olivia Rodrigo on the Sour Tour and for Taylor Swift on The Eras Tour in 2023 and 2024. Opening for artists with large audiences introduced Abrams to many listeners who may not have discovered her through streaming alone.
Her own tours have also helped strengthen her relationship with fans. Abrams’ concerts are often built around emotional closeness rather than spectacle. This fits the style of her music: personal, direct, and lyrically focused. As her audience has grown, her challenge has been to keep that sense of intimacy while performing in larger venues.
In 2025, People reported that Abrams performed “That’s So True” at the iHeartRadio Music Awards and won Breakthrough Artist of the Year. This kind of award-show exposure showed how quickly her audience had expanded after The Secret of Us.
Awards and Recognition
Gracie Abrams has received several major forms of industry recognition. Her Grammy nominations are especially important because they came from the Recording Academy: first for Best New Artist at the 66th Grammy Awards, and later for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for “us.” with Taylor Swift at the 67th Grammy Awards.
In 2025, she won Breakthrough Artist of the Year at the iHeartRadio Music Awards, according to People. The American Music Awards’ official winners page also listed Gracie Abrams as the winner of New Artist of the Year in 2025. Billboard also honored her as Songwriter of the Year at its 2025 Women in Music event.
These awards do not define her entire career, but they show that Abrams has moved from an emerging singer-songwriter to a recognized mainstream artist.
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Philanthropy / Public Engagement
Public information about Gracie Abrams’ formal philanthropy is not as extensive as information about her music career. However, there are documented examples of public engagement. Artists4Ceasefire lists Gracie Abrams among the signatories connected with its call for a ceasefire, release of hostages, and delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza.
She has also been publicly associated with reproductive-rights fundraising and advocacy. Rolling Stone reported on musicians, including Gracie Abrams, using music-related efforts to support abortion funds after the fall of Roe v. Wade. In politics, Billboard reported that Abrams appeared at a Kamala Harris campaign rally in Madison, Wisconsin, in 2024.
These examples show public engagement, but they should not be overstated. There is limited verified public evidence of a large, formal philanthropic organization operated by Abrams herself. A careful biography should therefore describe her public advocacy where documented, while avoiding broad claims about charity work that are not clearly sourced.
Public Perception and Misconceptions
One common misconception is that Gracie Abrams became known only because of her family background. Her connection to a famous family is real and widely reported, but her career has also been built through music releases, songwriting, touring, and industry recognition. People identifies her parents as J.J. Abrams and Katie McGrath, while also noting her own tours and music career.
Another misconception is that Abrams is only known through Taylor Swift. Swift’s support and collaboration have clearly increased Abrams’ visibility, especially through The Eras Tour and the song “us.” But Abrams released Minor, This Is What It Feels Like, and Good Riddance before the biggest wave of attention around The Secret of Us. Interscope’s release history confirms that her professional music catalog began before those later mainstream milestones.
A third misconception is that her music is only “sad pop.” While sadness and emotional uncertainty are central parts of her work, her songwriting also includes self-awareness, humor, friendship, frustration, and growth. The Secret of Us in particular showed a broader and more confident sound while keeping her personal writing style.
Legacy and Future
Because Gracie Abrams is still in the early part of her career, it is too soon to define her long-term legacy with certainty. What can be said responsibly is that she has already become one of the most visible singer-songwriters of her generation. Her career is built on emotional songwriting, close fan connection, and collaborations with respected figures in modern music.
Her future will likely depend on how she develops as a writer, performer, and recording artist. The success of “That’s So True,” the Grammy nomination for “us.,” and recognition from organizations such as Billboard, iHeartRadio, and the American Music Awards show that her audience has expanded beyond a small indie-pop following.
In January 2026, Deadline reported that Abrams was set to make her acting debut in the A24 film Please, written and directed by Halina Reijn. Since that project is still developing, it should be described carefully as a reported future role, not as proof of a completed film career.
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FAQs About Gracie Abrams
Who is Gracie Abrams?
Gracie Abrams is an American singer and songwriter known for emotional pop and folk-pop songs.
What is Gracie Abrams’ full name?
Her full name is Gracie Madigan Abrams.
When was Gracie Abrams born?
She was born on September 7, 1999, in Los Angeles, California.
Who are Gracie Abrams’ parents?
Her parents are filmmaker J.J. Abrams and producer/executive Katie McGrath.
What are Gracie Abrams’ best-known songs?
Her well-known songs include “I Miss You, I’m Sorry,” “Risk,” “I Love You, I’m Sorry,” “us.,” and “That’s So True.”
Has Gracie Abrams won a Grammy?
As of April 2026, she has been Grammy-nominated, including for Best New Artist and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, but she has not won a Grammy.
What genre is Gracie Abrams’ music?
Her music is commonly associated with pop, indie pop, folk-pop, and singer-songwriter styles.
Conclusion
Gracie Abrams is an American singer-songwriter whose rise has been shaped by personal songwriting, careful production, strong collaborations, and a growing live audience. Born in Los Angeles in 1999, she came from a well-known creative family but developed her public identity through music. Her early projects Minor and This Is What It Feels Like introduced her emotional writing style, while Good Riddance and The Secret of Us expanded her artistic reach.
Her Grammy nominations, UK Number 1 success with “That’s So True,” major touring opportunities, and award recognition show a career that has moved quickly but is still developing. A fact-based view of Gracie Abrams should avoid gossip and exaggeration. Her story is best understood through her songs, her collaborations, and the way her work has connected with listeners who value honest, reflective pop music.
