Gracie Abrams is a vulnerable soul and that’s why her music has been embraced so passionately from listeners who found solace her in personal revelations. Sometimes you just need to hear that someone else is going through something similar to you to know that you will get through it and that you’re not totally alone. And her debut EP ‘Minor’ was a real embodiment of that with a collection of songs that were universal, youthful and genuinely honest and raw.
Having already begun the next chapter by releasing ‘Brush Fire’ and the Benny Blanco collaboration ‘Unlearn’, she’s certified her candid storytelling with the release of her cinematic new single ‘Mess It Up’. Opening with a guitar riff similar to ‘The Louvre’ by Lorde, the way it builds makes it sound like it belongs on ‘Melodrama’, which is honestly the highest form of compliment. Contrasting the emotional storytelling with this cinematically flared production, she celebrates the youthfulness of the emotions and the beauty of feeling this level of hurt. The production builds so boldly and will have ready to unapologetically lip-sync along to it while walking down a street in the dark with a tear falling down your cheek like you’re in a music video.
Capturing the heavy reflection that follows the end of a relationship, she questions if she was the reason it ended. Watching them move on, she questions why she can’t move on even though deep down she knows it’s for the best. With her self sabotaging thoughts plaguing her brain she spirals in a self-blaming party. “Kicking myself with my gut in a knot cause I heard that you’re happiеr. Hope that you’re sleeping wеll knowing I’m not” she honestly sings before confessing; “How could I think that all that I gave you was enough? Cause every time I get too close I just go mess it up”.
‘Melodrama’ and ‘Pure Heroine’ soundtracked the coming of age moments of so many people, and already Abrams’ growing discography is doing that for a whole new generation. With songs like ‘Mess It Up’ she’s reassuring people that it’s normal to overthink and feel like you mess everything up, because some of our brains function us that way. She’s creating anthems to embrace those emotions and cry when you just need to let it out, and that’s something we could all need in our lives.