I would like to preface my upcoming commentary with the fact that I have no idea what I am talking about. I have no experience in the artistic world of music or performance, and I am truly not a credible source to be receiving information from. With that being said, Gracie Abrams is my topic of discussion, and she hyper-fixates my mind on a bi-weekly basis. We live in an age where, due to social media, fame, clout, virality, whatever you want to label it, can walk right up to your doorstep. One day you are counting up bills and the next, you are sending them. But what is it like when fame is arguably handed to you? When your success is a given?
Gracie Abrams is a picture-perfect embodiment of Gen Z, and I’m happy that I discovered her back in 2020 with her EP/album (whichever) minor. I grew to love her the same way everyone loved Clairo around 2018. For a while, I placed the two in the same category, until Gracie released the EP This Is What It Feels Like, which pulled her entirely out no of the Clairo comparison. If we’re looking at the trajectory of both Gracie Abrams’s and Clairo’s careers, it’s not really up for debate that Gracie’s has skyrocketed past Clairo’s. Who’s to say Clairo even wanted the level of mainstream glam and fame that Gracie has achieved, or that she couldn’t have reached the same success if she did? Both women are undeniably talented, but how did Gracie’s career shift so dramatically while being a year younger and, arguably, having less experience? Gracie Abrams is the child of J.J. Abrams and Katie McGrath. If the name J.J. Abrams sounds familiar, it’s because he created the television series Lost and Alias, rebooted the Star Trek franchise, took on Star Wars, and oh yeah, composed music for multiple projects within both universes. It’s safe to say that Gracie Abrams might have had a connection or two when it came to finding someone qualified to help frame her music… or to get her onstage for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in 2023. Subjectively, Gracie’s music has always been good, but that’s also what’s expected when you’re gilded into the spotlight and handed all the right keys. Looking back on her very first show being the supporting concert for her debut EP minor in 2021, how is it that not much has changed in her questionably subpar performance style throughout the years?
I am firm in my belief that the answer to this pressing question is her initial appearances strumming a guitar in 2023 beside Taylor Swift on the Eras Tour. Adding an accessory, arguably a distraction, to her performance created something new and shiny to look at other than her subjective talent. I don’t see it as a coincidence that this guitar began peaking when she was around Taylor Swift and her team, but that is a conversation for another day. Why is she always performing with a guitar twice her size, or why is she so rarely seen performing without it? You could argue that maybe her genre of music doesn’t require her to float across the stage like Lady Gaga or do twenty-three flips during a single set like Benson Boone, but I could imagine, and appreciate, if Gracie did a small sway like Sabrina does during Read Your Mind while she performs that would fit into Gracie's songs “Close to You” or “Risk” or “That’s So True.” A lot of her music could actually benefit from incorporating a little physicality.
If a viewer at her concert is indifferent to Gracie’s performance, it is impossible to overlook the untouchable styling she upholds. She has these beautiful dresses, and her stylist, Spencer Singer, does such a fantastic job sourcing the best for Gracie, maybe it’s to show off her atelier? Or her magnetic abs that had the entire world in a chokehold. Here are some of my favorite looks that she has performed in.
Radio City Music Hall 10.14.2024
SNL 12.24.25
Vogue World 2025 (absolutely love the heels)
The fashion choices are nothing to dance in, so I wonder if that is also strategic from her management.
She has the passion, and you can see it in performances such as Free Now (Live) – Vevo Extended Play, Close to You – Jimmy Kimmel Live! 2024, and Close to You & Dancin’ On My Own – Live From Lollapalooza 2025. But you know what all of these performances have in common? She is gripping onto that guitar like it’s literal life support. I wonder if the performances could be stronger without the overbearing instrument.
On the contrary, my personal favorite, I Told You Things – Live From Outside Lands 2025, holds the same passion as her other performances but is technically stronger and much cleaner, which gives the song more weight. And guess what, she isn’t holding anything but a microphone in that performance. It’s difficult to judge her talent or whether her fame is fully earned when there are elements actively limiting her ability to exceed expectations. She gets a lot of backlash about her vocal ability, specifically her breathiness, and it makes you wonder: where is all this money from tours, albums, and brand deals going if not a little going toward vocal coaching? It’s only a matter of time before these guitars keep getting larger with every performance and each dress becomes grander and more excessive, ultimately physically absorbing Gracie and her recognition.
A recent performance that left many of us speechless was Vogue World. I’m not exactly sure who signed off on anything for the event, but her performance was not receiving the same kind of praise as her stunning outfit. We must keep in mind that the thousands of people commenting on her performance have no idea what they are talking about, and neither do I. From strict observation, however, she seemed breathy, uncontrolled, and unable to find a balance between enthusiasm and technique. It felt as though she were the one walking the runway in a Thom Browne creation while expected to belt, but she wasn’t. Instead, she stood stagnant, strumming that guitar, surrounded by A-list celebrities. To be fair, if I were performing for millions while Cara Delevingne eye-flirts with me, I’d probably forget where I was for about forty seconds too.
Comparison is truly the thief of joy, but in circumstances like this, I don’t think it’s blasphemous to look sideways. Olivia Dean, another female artist with a similar sound, has been climbing the charts and receiving well-deserved praise. She has been releasing music since 2018 and is now recognized globally, currently opening for Sabrina Carpenter’s Man’s Best Friend tour and recently performing on SNL. Olivia and Gracie are the same age, and Gracie actually began releasing music three years before Olivia’s first single. Once you look past the gorgeous outfits Olivia also wears onstage, you’re left with a raw, emotionally charged performance, one where you can see yourself inside the music.
I’m referring specifically to her performances of “Let Alone the One You Love” and “Man I Need” on SNL a few weeks ago. How is Olivia able to convey such passion while remaining vocally intact? Dean uses her voice to carry emotion, and her hand gestures and subtle movements create the illusion that she’s doing far more than she actually is. It’s also worth noting, she isn’t holding a guitar.
I’ll give Gracie Abrams some grace here. Artists rarely have complete control over their image or performance choices, and there’s clearly a team behind her that makes certain decisions intentionally. The constant guitar placement is undoubtedly strategic. But can you imagine holding a thirteen-pound instrument on and off for a two-hour concert? I would be worn out as well. It doesn’t sound like much at first, but it gets exhausting. I don’t believe it enhances her performance, I think it restrains it.
Nobody is asking Gracie to be Michael Jackson. But I am asking her team to challenge her. Try something new. Push the artist. This isn’t a takedown (as if she’d ever read a random internet essay anyway), but something closer to a love letter. I adore her. I adore her music. And I’d love to see her go from good to extraordinary.
Dua Lipa’s career changed after that infamous YouTube comment, “Go girl, give us nothing”, and look how far she’s come since. I don’t know how often Gracie dives into her own critique, but maybe she’d benefit from opening a TikTok comment section… just a little. I Love Gracie Abrams, but I’m not totally sold on paying $500 for a nosebleed ticket just yet. All I'm suggesting is Gracie unhand the guitar!