“The Secret of Us” is the best release of 2024 so far. I wish that I was kidding, I’m not and I hate it.
Driving down the highway to work, I played 24-year-old singer-songwriter Gracie Abrams’s new album, “The Secret of Us,” released June 21. With 13 songs produced and composed with the help of Aaron Dessner and a collaboration with the queen of music herself, Taylor Swift, this album encompasses the hope, loss and toxicity that come along with unrequited love.
As I pulled into the parking lot of my office, I sat in silence. This album left me with no words. The rollercoaster I had just experienced was unlike any other. I had gone from singing along at the top of my lungs to exciting, catchy choruses, to tears streaming down my face as I listened to lyrics so relatable, I was sure Abrams had written the album just for me.
For fans of Abrams, “The Secret of Us” holds the same emotional and heartbreaking lyrics she is known for. However, this album is much more upbeat and perfect for summer. Abrams is known for a quieter and breathier tone in her singing, but here, Abrams’s vocals are louder and more confident.
Abrams opens the album with the song “Felt Good About You,” which feels like an introduction to the relationship she has written about in previous work. She addresses how she fell harder for her partner than they did, but they eventually lost interest.
The two singles released for this album cycle, “Close To You” and “Risk,” are both influenced by classic pop and made for the radio. “Risk” is a grungy song about a passionate, unrequited love and taking the risk of confessing it. The song is almost acoustic, but it has quite a bit of production to create contrast between the vocals and the music.
Abrams closes the album with “Close To You,” which I found disappointing, and “Free Now,” which highlights the experience of being in a toxic relationship with an avoidant person. The latter is a better closer.
The bridge of “Free Now” perfectly rounds out the story the album tells. While I feel it was not the best song to close on and leads to an abrupt ending, “Close To You” holds lyrical gems, including my favorite, “I burn for you, and you don’t even know my name.” Overall, “Close To You” feels like it was thrown on to the album because it became popular with fans.
My favorite song off the album is “Blowing Smoke.” Abrams shares the person she is in love with prefers to be with strangers rather than someone who deeply cares for them. Some of my favorite lyrics are, “Is she prettier than she was on the internet?” and “If she’s got a pulse, she meets your standards now.”
There is only one collaboration on the entire album: “us. (feat. Taylor Swift).” I was a little skeptical of this song when it was announced. Swift is very strategic about her collaborations, and, I find that a lot of them to be over-hyped. “us.” however, was not one of those songs.
This is by far my favorite collaboration Swift has ever done. Instead of having an entire verse to herself, Swift’s vocals are subtly blended throughout the song. Sonically, the track moves between Abrams and Swift’s vocals as the song progresses, and I could not have been more impressed. It does not feel like Swift was used as a money grab, but rather as an assistant in elevating the song in every way.
“Gave You I Gave You I,” “I Love You, I’m Sorry,” “Good Luck Charlie” and “Tough Love” are the songs most similar to previous releases from Abrams. The vocals are quieter and breathy. They are nostalgic and hopelessly romantic, but upon further listening, I have found them to be a bit boring and too similar to what we have already heard from her.
“I Love You, I’m Sorry” feels like the more confident and self-assured sister song of Abrams’s 2020 release titled, “I miss you, I’m sorry.” “Tough Love” is a bit of an anthem in the chorus, as the lyrics share Abrams's experience with men and how she no longer wants to waste her time.
“Let It Happen” is soulful and soothing, with a simple electric guitar background that is mesmerizing. The lyrics share that Abrams is in a relationship where she doesn’t quite yet love the person, however she knows that she will. The chorus is loud and catchy, with electric production that provides a fuzzy distortion.
No matter the situation, whether it be driving to work, going to the gym or even cleaning your apartment, this album has something for everyone. Most of us have experienced the grief of unrequited love, and screaming to catchy lyrics or crying to moving ones is sometimes a beautifully therapeutic way of moving on. Overall, this is a great release from Abrams, and I know it will be fantastic to see it performed live.
