Shawn Mendes, Camilla Cabello, Sabrina Carpenter...Taylor Swift has a pretty impeccable track record of cherry-picking talent that will go on to make their mark on the music industry, but few of her supporting acts had a debut like Gracie Abrams. 

It's been two years since Abrams opened for Taylor Swift, and now, the singer-songwriter is set to headline her own tour — this time bolstered by her first full-length project, The Secret Of Us. The album arrived to instant fanfare in June, as popular among critics as it was on TikTok, and disrupting summer's recently crowned holy trinity: Chappelle Roan, Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX. What Abrams brought also marked a departure from the more sugary output of this year's pop artists, instead finding her footing in an anthemic twist on lovesick acoustic pop — the likes of which that hasn't been seen since, or possibly attempted, since Taylor Swift's Red. 

Writing this entire song from 2am to 6am was some of the most fun I’ve ever had in my life. @taylorswift13 now we know how to use a fire extinguisher. I love you. pic.twitter.com/aJtqSgmUdR

— Gracie Abrams (@gracieabrams) June 21, 2024

It's the uncomplicated universality of Abrams that is her superpower. Her lyrics, which touch on themes of love, loss, rejection, and insecurity, eschew Billie Eilish's dark humor, Lorde's poetic musings, and even the narrative devices that her mentor Taylor Swift deploys to inspire analysis. "You're probably out somewhere while I'm in my underwear," she sings on 'Let it Happen,' "Eating through my feelings, I'm still reeling, but it's fine." Like anyone who experiments with songwriting, each Gracie Abrams song is not overthought, nor taken especially seriously. It simply is what it is. 

This lack of 'star' packaging makes Abrams feel like a particularly refreshing addition to the pop star sphere. We've spent the past 10 years in a kind of drag; cosplaying the best version of ourselves online, while we drift further and further away from that persona in real life. Now, after running out of steam on the uphill trek to attain an impossible, ever-evolving beauty standard, women are "glowing down" — dissolving their filler or taking Botox breaks. We're returning to ourselves, and reprioritizing authenticity. 

While Abrams has clear marketability – a fashion campaign-ready face and a famous family – no part of her career has felt conceived by music execs looking for a cash grab. Her introspective songwriting, minimalist production, and commitment to emotional honesty are redefining what it means to be a modern pop star in 2024. She also seems to have escaped the aesthetic trappings long upheld in pop music — opting for intimate close-ups with mussed hair and minimal makeup in her visuals, over flashy effects or elaborate choreography. Gracie Abrams has no frills, which, in turn, has made her totally accessible.

There's no telling what Gracie's success may give way to. While the pop product was once formulaic – beautiful girl + passable voice + catchy song = $$$ – there is now no one such thing as an overnight success with staying power. Instead, the genre is becoming increasingly nuanced, especially as consumers harbor ranging tastes, we expect more from our stars. Spectacle alone isn't going to do it anymore — we're demanding vulnerability. We want to laugh, cry, rage, and rebel, and we want to see that same sensibility reflected in our favorites. Thankfully, Gracie Abrams is the full package.

Shop Gracie's collab with Wildflower.