There’s no doubt that Gracie Abrams’ heartfelt and vivid lyrical talent follows in the footsteps of Taylor Swift. A longtime Swiftie herself, Abrams rose to prominence in 2020 through acoustic covers filmed in her bedroom. After releasing her first original song, “Mean It,” she quickly turned into an indie sensation, with the EPs minor and This Is What It Feels Like fueling her rise. Given the rate at which she’s growing, her current Good Riddance album might be her last one she can play in small venues.
Over the years, Abrams has managed to record with Aaron Dessner, Swift’s longtime collaborator, and even open for Swift on select stops of her record-breaking Eras Tour. These opportunities have launched Abrams from the underground scene to a new level of stardom. Her OG fans – myself included – are a little bummed we can’t keep her “our little secret” anymore, but it’s pretty insane to see her growth. It’s even more insane to see how much her relationship with Swift has blossomed over the years. Swift and Abrams have one of the cutest friendship timelines I’ve ever seen — the mutual support and admiration for each other’s work just scratches the surface.
MARCH 27, 2020: ABRAMS SHOUTS OUT HER FAVORITE SONGS BY SWIFT IN A TWITTER SPREE
While high on a Friday morning (seriously), Abrams put several Swifties’ thoughts into words in a rapid-fire post on X (formerly known as Twitter). “i know places by taylor swift makes me feel like i’m being hunted down in the purge,” she wrote first. Subsequently, she cited “Innocent” as Swift’s best song (which I can agree with) and “Mine” as the one that makes her crave overalls.
DECEMBER 13, 2021: ABRAMS ATTENDS SWIFT’S 32ND BIRTHDAY PARTY
After Abrams worked with Dessner on some songs for her second EP, Feels Like, she got to connect with Swift. The newfound friendship led Abrams to Swift’s 32nd birthday party, where HAIM, Sadie Sink, and Diana Silvers were also in attendance. The invitation came over a phone call, which shocked a starstruck Abrams. She even reached out to a mutual producer to confirm that she wasn’t being scammed.
NOVEMBER 1, 2022: SWIFT ANNOUNCES ABRAMS AS AN OPENING ACT ON HER ERAS TOUR
Swift enlisted Abrams as one of the supporting acts on her Eras tour. In the months that followed, Abrams exponentially grew her fanbase, as the Swifties discovered her folklore-esque knack for storytelling and her unique whisper-vocals. In 2023, it was announced that Abrams’ opening stint on the Eras tour would continue into the 2024 US & Canada legs as well.
FEBRUARY 23, 2023: SWIFT AND ABRAMS GUSH ABOUT EACH OTHER ON THE LATTER’S ALBUM RELEASE DAY
Around the time Abrams released her long-awaited debut album, Good Riddance – another project that Dessner contributed heavily to – she mentioned Swift’s influence in an interview with Rolling Stone. “It feels like the most ridiculous master class known to man,” Abrams said of the then-upcoming Eras Tour. “I’m going to learn so much keeping my head down and listening and watching her do what she was put here to do.”
Swift also gushed about Abrams and her incredible talent. “Gracie’s writing mixes fragility with introspection in a way that I really relate to,” Swift reflected to Rolling Stone. “It makes me feel like maybe she and I started writing songs for the same reason, just to try to make sense of how we feel. My favorite writers are the ones where I never have to wonder why they wrote this particular song, because it just feels inherently obvious that they had to — like a confession or a catharsis. Sometimes it feels like she’s on the edge of tears or laughter while she sings, and we’re all just sitting on the floor in a circle listening to the story unfold.”
JULY 1, 2023: SWIFT & ABRAMS SING “I MISS YOU, I’M SORRY” AS A DUET
I hope that everyone who attended the second night of the Eras tour in Cincinatti realized just how lucky were. Since Abrams’ set was cut that day due to weather concerns, Swift invited her back on stage during the surprise songs set. Together, they performed Abrams’ iconic track “I miss you, I’m sorry.” “She’s one of my favorite friends and I love her so much. We haven’t sung together before, so I wanted to bring Gracie out on stage,” said Swift while introducing Abrams.
This performance had me, along with many others worldwide, sobbing at a grainy TikTok livestream.
SEPTEMBER 2023: ABRAMS COVERS SWIFTS’ SONGS AT ACOUSTIC SHOWS
In Sept. 2023, Abrams played a series of acoustic shows in NYC, Los Angeles, and Nashville with Dessner. She played new Good Riddance tracks — including some from the deluxe version — and a few covers of Swift’s songs. A couple of highlights included “invisible string” and “right where you left me” (side note: her reading the lyrics to the latter and singing is so relatable, but also impressive).
OCTOBER 5, 2023: DESSNER REFLECTS ON ABRAMS’ CAREER AND SWIFT’S IMPACT
In an interview with Billboard, both Abrams and Dessner identified the Eras tour as “the best thing that has ever happened to live music.” She also reflected on how Swift maintains a certain intimacy in her shows, despite the size of the venues she performs in. Abrams hopes to do as well as Swift when the time comes for her to upgrade from small theater shows.