Gracie Abrams released her second album, “The Secret of Us”, on June 21, 2024. The album was highly anticipated and well received, reaching number two in the Billboard 200.
“The Secret of Us” is Abram’s second studio album, following her first album “Good Riddance”, released in 2023, and her EP “minor” in 2020. This album has a total of 20 tracks, 13 from the original album, plus seven counting the extra tracks and live performances featured on the deluxe edition. The album only features one guest artist, Taylor Swift, who Abrams opened for during the Eras Tour.
The Huntington News described the album as focusing on themes of relationships, whether they be with herself, her friends or an (ex)lover. Abrams described her second album as “extroverted.”
The deluxe edition of “The Secret of Us” was released Oct. 18, 2024. It featured the release of four new songs and three live performances.
The first song featured on the deluxe edition is “Cool.” This song is seemingly about Abrams getting over a break up by attempting to act nonchalant and “cool.” There is speculation that this song is about famous actor Dylan O’Brien, who is mostly famously known for his roles in “The Maze Runner” trilogy and the MTV supernatural thriller “Teen Wolf”. The lyrics in the song mention names and relationships associated with O’Brien.
I am not a huge fan of this song. I feel that the melody or the harmony weren’t as catchy as some of the other songs on the album. It feels very cathartic for her as an artist and is clearly deeply personal for her. I do enjoy the lyrics, but I don’t find them as captivating as her usual lyrics. Overall, I would say that “Cool” is just kind of boring, but in Abram’s fashion, the vocals are beautiful and the song definitely still hits you in the feelings.
“That’s So True” is the second song featured on Abram’s deluxe edition. This song has blown up on TikTok recently, being used for video collages and edits of popular movie characters. Most videos feature an assortment of characters in repetitive actions, such as dancing or running.
I am a sucker for the pop, fast-paced melody mixed with sad lyrics, and this one delivered. It is relatable to young women and teenagers and almost has a wild sense of humor to it, which makes the lyrics feel much more authentic. The bridge is beautiful; there is a reason it has blown up on TikTok as of late. If nothing else, the bridge makes this song worth the listen.
The gentle “I Told You Things” is the third song to be featured on the deluxe version of “The Secret of Us.” According to Genius, this song is from the perspective of a narrator who has opened up to their partner, but regretted it after a break up between the narrator and their partner.
This one is not for me, personally. I find it repetitive and forgettable. Nothing stood out to me in lyrics or melody. The instrumental honestly made me feel like I was loading up a Nintendo game.
Finally, “Packing It Up” is the last new release to be featured on the deluxe version of the album. It is theorized to be about Abrams current boyfriend, Paul Mescal who is most famous for his role in the TV series, “Normal People”. The song is about the narrator who almost gave up on love, but found herself in a new relationship that made her feel happy again.
Not a lot happened, other than the repetition of the word “happened.” Was it awful? No. However, it also just wasn’t for me. I love that we ended the album on a happy note after a long array of heartbreak. It is a wonderful conclusion and really provides a nice sense of hope and comfort.
Abrams is an extremely talented artist and I encourage anyone interested in her music to give the deluxe album a listen, because even the songs I didn’t necessarily enjoy were still worth listening to.
