Gracie Abrams, “The Secret of Us.”

Gracie Abrams had a whirlwind 2023 and her sophomore album, The Secret of Us, is certainly something to show for it. After releasing debut LP Good Riddance and opening for Taylor Swift on the Eras Tour, Abrams would be forgiven for wanting to take time to regroup. Instead, the 24-year-old is back with an LP that solidifies her as a force in the pop world. She rigorously documents each moment as if she were detailing events in a letter. In doing so, she’s more bold, honest and relatable than ever before.

The growth both sonically and in her songwriting is immediately evident. Teaming up with Aaron Dessner (The National guitarist, Swift producer) once more, as well as with friend Audrey Hobert on the writing, Abrams evolves with her storytelling.

On “Let It Happen,” it’s the little details that shine through. As the soft tune begins, we’re greeted with a collective nostalgic laugh. A guitar strums her through as she gives nuance to allowing herself to be open and vulnerable despite not knowing the outcome.

“I’m aware that I could end up here alone/ Then we spoke/ Had a backbone made of glass, but then it broke/ Now I stay and wait here by the phone,” she sings. The song shifts gears and Abrams drastically changes the tone of her voice, daring the subject of her affection to turn her into “something tragic.”

The songs read much like a diary, with Gracie Abrams chronicling every moment of hope, joy, loss and learning. Writing and singing about what she knows allows Abrams to be brutally open, bringing out her best work. The minimalistic “Felt Good About You” perfectly matches the tempo of its guitar strumming to her singing, as she walks listeners through her learning to trust her instincts.

“Tough Love” feels like a ticking time bomb. Abrams feverishly recounts the aftermath of an argument with a partner. The words come as quickly as the thoughts in her head: “I took a train to Boston and I wanted to cry/ He’s gone, I’m 24 and it’s a Saturday/ I ran and took his jacket with a rip in the side/ I hate when we fight.” The chorus changes the mood, however, as Abrams gains confidence in herself and her decisions to leave when necessary and not back down for the sake of her own self-worth.

On “Risk,” the melody is guitar-based as Abrams cries out, “God, I’m jumping in the deep end/ It’s more fun to swim in/ Heard the risk is drownin’/ But I’m gonna take it.” The song parallels the album as a whole as in this chapter of her life and career, Abrams is learning first-hand that putting yourself out there and failing is better than never having tried at all.

The Taylor Swift collab, “us,” is sonically reminiscent of songs from Swift’s catalog, particularly from the Folklore era. Here, however, Swift is subtle, allowing Abrams to take the lead on the sweet duet that seems to show gratitude to Swift, referencing her songs. The most prominent is “Cowboy Like Me.” The two muse on a relationship that began with hope but burned to ash.

Abrams’ breathy and delicate singing carries a tenacity and strength that comes through during the heightened moments in these songs. Her vocals are particularly stunning on more mellow tracks like “Good Luck Charlie.” On this song, the singing takes center stage as she wishes an ex well in his new relationship while the guitar strumming and the backing vocals encourage him. And “Free Now” beautifully picks up its momentum. Abrams, after a lot of musing, finds comfort in herself and bids adieu to a potential relationship, as she yells, “Never been less empty/ All I feel is free now.”

Through the ups and downs of finding ourselves in relationships, there’s something liberating about trusting the process when those relationships fail. Abrams experiences all of these emotions as the waves of feelings wash over her. She channels them into something bigger that gives her purpose, and perhaps more importantly, lets listeners going through something similar know that this, too, shall pass.

Gracie Abrams concludes the album on a hopeful note, with a crush, on dance tune “Close To You,” where she pines for someone who doesn’t know it. “I burn for you and you don’t even know my name/ If you asked me to/ I’d give up everything,” she sings, proving that where one door closes, another opens.

Follow writer Vera Maksymiuk at Twitter.com/veramaksymiuk.