Gracie Abrams released her first full-length album, “Good Riddance,” on Feb. 24. The bedroom pop star has elevated to a new level of stardom with her angelic voice and heart-wrenching lyrics.

Haunting Lyrics and Voice

When it comes to songwriting, Abrams is no stranger to her emotions and vulnerability. She closely follows in the footsteps of her inspirations Joni Mitchell, Taylor Swift and Lorde. Abrams allows us a glimpse of her life through her vulnerable songs with intimate lyrics and stories.

“Good Riddance” consists of 12 songs all written by Abrams and co-written and produced by Aaron Dessner. Dessner is famously a member of the band “The National” and produced Taylor Swift’s “folklore” and “evermore.”

Abrams opens the album with the song “Best” which describes the unrequited love she had for a past lover. The song starts with a beautiful melancholy but gentle guitar riff that somehow mimics the tone of the relationship. “Best” shines with lyrics, “You’re the worst of my crimes/You fell hard, I thought ‘good riddance.’”

Another song similar to “Best” is “Where do we go now?” With a more synthetic pop beat, Abrams admits the guilt of not being in love with the person and faking the feelings in the relationship. She sings, “When I kissed you back, I lied” and “Can’t you tell our light burned out?” What makes Abrams so appealing and different from other songwriters is that she admits her faults instead of hiding them or putting the blame on others.

Abrams experiments with more folky sounds in “Amelie.” The song describes meeting a girl named Amelie who is now a fragment of Abrams’ past. She sings about Amelie, thinking she has known her. While the song can be interpreted in many ways, I viewed it as seeing a version of yourself you no longer recognize and having to let that part of you go.

“This is what the drugs are for” is another folk song about a past lover. Abrams sings about trying to get over the feeling of this person and imagines a conversation with this significant lover. With lyrics of “I’m still waitin’ by the phone/You painted my life indigo,” she recalls the love she feels for them and can’t help but wonder where they are now.

With more upbeat hits like “I should hate you,” Abrams sings about putting more effort into a relationship than her partner with the lyrics, “I wasted my breath when I tried to console you.” Another popular hit, “I know it won’t work,” has an upbeat chorus that is addicting to listen to with heartbreaking lyrics and Abrams’ fragile voice.

Painfully Good

Abrams is a rising star who will no doubt keep getting bigger and better as she continues to grow. With her painfully good songwriting skills and mesmerizing voice, you’ll only want to push the replay button again and again.

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