On April 29 Gracie Abrams announced that the release of her fourth studio album, “The Secret of Us,” was set for June 21. Along with the announcement of a new album, Abrams shared that the album’s lead single would hit major streaming platforms on May 1. Having not released new material since the release of her album, “Good Riddance,” fans were ecstatic with this news.
Abrams, who started gaining traction after opening for Taylor Swift during The Eras Tour, has been in the music business for some time. Having released her first album “minor” in 2020, she is no stranger to lyrical ballads. In fact, emotional, hard-hitting pieces seem to be her niche.
Many fans had hoped for a more upbeat and lighthearted album after the release of lead single “Risk,” which quickly became an anthem of the summer. Perfectly encapsulating the feeling of crushing hard on someone you barely know, “Risk” builds to a teenage angst-esque bridge. Fans immediately fell in love with the song, listening to it over and over as they waited for the rest of the album.
Along with “Risk,” Abrams later released the long-anticipated single “Close To You” after a clip of the song had been floating around the internet for the last few years. News of “Close To You” making the tracklist sent fans into a spiral, counting down the days until its pre-album release and lighting up the charts upon its release.
“The Secret of Us” tracklist created quite a buzz when it was released on May 13. Not only was Abrams releasing 13 new songs, but the title track “Us.” was set to feature Swift. The two singer-songwriters have a way with lyrics, and the shared track did not disappoint. With a well-crafted build and heart-wrenching bridge, listeners were quickly captivated by the lyricism of the song.
Upon its release on June 21, fans were quick to note that “The Secret of Us” carries Abrams’ melancholic vibe. With tracks such as “Normal Thing,” “Free Now” and “Let It Happen” it’s hard to dispute the lyrical and emotional strength of the album. “Blowing Smoke” quickly became a fan favorite, encapsulating the feeling of frustration and confusion that comes with a relationship ending.
With such a strong fan reaction to the album, it was no shock that Abrams announced she would be taking “The Secret of Us” on tour. Set to start on Sept. 5 in Portland, Ore., “The Secret of Us Tour” will hit major American cities before heading to Europe/UK and then Australia and New Zealand. The North American leg of the tour will feature special guest Role Model, while special guests for the Europe/UK and Australia and New Zealand legs have yet to be announced.
It’s safe to say that fans are eagerly waiting to attend the tour. With snippets of unreleased songs floating around on TikTok and Abrams performing an unreleased song as a duet recently, fans have hope for a deluxe version of “The Secret of Us” soon. Time will tell, but for now stream “The Secret of Us” on all major streaming platforms.
