She even covered Natalie Imbruglia’s Torn from her infamous “B-stage”, an in-the-round stage extension made to resemble her childhood bedroom.
Abrams’ sudden pop explosion was unexpected. The daughter of Hollywood showrunner JJ Abrams and producer Katie McGrath, she’s such a student of Swift that, for the casual listener, it was perhaps hard to see the point. (Abrams acknowledges the debt: accepting the prize for songwriter of the year at Billboard’s Women in Music awards in March, she said of Swift, “I will never stop thanking her for the gift of her pen, which very much raised me.”)
But Abrams’ songs – with their deeply felt, diaristic and scathing self-examination – have captured a generation of listeners. For the thousands at Qudos Bank on Friday – almost all of them wearing hair bows, her unofficial stan uniform – Abrams’ heart-on-sleeve vulnerability, relatable vibe and emotional hooks are undeniable.
Songwriting is a “selfish process”, says Abrams, but once a song’s done it belongs to her fans.
“I see what they respond to and that stays in my head,” she says. “It’s then about making their experience as audience members the best version, because I want them to love it and be proud of it because they’ve spent so much time caring.”
Abrams’ reported romance with Irish actor Paul Mescal has fuelled further intrigue around the rising star.
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Online rumours suggest he’s been travelling with her – he was spotted dancing at her gig in Auckland last week – but, like their relationship, they remain unconfirmed. At Friday’s gig, I didn’t see Mescal (nor any other man in shorts).
Tabloid attention may not be conducive to Abrams’ brand of bloodletting songwriting, but she’s facing more pressing concerns. In a recent interview, she mentioned feeling pressure to “reinvent” herself for her next project, now an expected part of the pop cycle.
She has a collection of new songs that, even a month ago, she thought would form her next album. “Now I think I’m gonna blow it all up and start following another path,” she says, declining further detail.
“Not to necessarily reinvent the wheel, because my songwriting process has not radically changed since I was eight years old, in terms of having a feeling, having the instinct to write it down, and going away into some semi-isolated corner to make it happen,” Abrams adds.
“But I have been inspired by new places recently and it’s been interesting to hear the music that’s come from that, and I feel compelled to allow myself time to explore what it would look like if I see that through fully.”
Judging by the devotion on display at Friday’s gig, her Gracelanders – or whatever they might call themselves – are sure to follow.
Gracie Abrams’ The Secret of Us Tour continues in Sydney May 3-4; in Brisbane May 6-7; in Melbourne May 9-11; in Adelaide May 13; and in Perth May 16-17.
