Gracie Abrams: She’s the daughter of elite Hollywood filmmaker J.J. Abrams but there’s one place Gracie Abrams is more famous | Explainer
If you asked anyone on the street five years ago who Gracie Abrams was, a die-hard Star Wars fan might have identified her as one of J. J. Abrams‘ three children.
At the time, that would have been a big ask of said vox pop victim. Now, however, it’s a completely different story.
In fact, there are some rooms – or stadiums, shall we say – Gracie walks into where she’s more famous than her award-winning filmmaker father.
Watch the video above.
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Born in Los Angeles, California, to J. J. and television producer Katie McGrath, at 25 years old, Gracie is making a name for herself thanks to her work as a musician.
It began at the age of eight, which is when Gracie started writing songs.
“I have always turned to music first, as a place to kind of most immediately process feelings or allow music by artists who inspire me, who move me to support my personal experiences, you know, in my headphones,” she told The Hollywood Reporter in September.
“There’s never been a moment that I haven’t leaned on music to make me feel more grounded, I suppose.”
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It wasn’t, however, until after high-school that she decided to actively pursue music in earnest.
In fact, after her 2018 graduation, she actually went to New York City’s prestigious Barnard College to study international relations, but took a break to focus on singing and songwriting after her first year.
And yes, as it turns out, dropping out of an Ivy League school was the best thing she could have done for her career.
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What followed was her first single – Mean It – which was released in October 2019 with Interscope Records, her first extended play Minor in 2020, and in 2021, a feature alongside Benny Blanco on Unlearn.
In 2022, she got her big break – although she had already embarked on her own headline I’ve Missed You, I’m Sorry Tour the year prior, powerhouse Olivia Rodrigo invited Gracie to be her opening act for the Sour Tour.
“[She’s] just super sweet. Like honestly man, she’s such a great person, she just has like the best heart,” Gracie told Refinery29 Australia in 2022 of Rodrigo.
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She continued: “Being friends with her outside of our work stuff, I’ve known that, but to also then see her in her zone in a professional environment where there’s so many different people whose time and energy goes into making the show safe and able to happen… she so clearly creates such a beautiful environment to be around.
“And I think everyone who was a part of [the Sour] tour really felt that; it shone through every day… aside from just it being a lovely experience to tour with a friend, I think she’s a great example of a young person who carries themselves so beautifully and so that was just kind of like a great masterclass.”
By 2023, Gracie had released her debut album Good Riddance, and her learnings from touring with Rodrigo ended up paying off – it saw her hit the jackpot.
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When the most influential woman in music calls, you pick up the phone and say yes, and that’s what Gracie did when Taylor Swift asked her to be one of the opening acts on her mammoth The Eras Tour.
“I know for a fact obviously that mostly everyone who’s in that space probably doesn’t even know that I exist, so the thought is, how do you curate a set list where you’re trying to create as many hooks as possible,” she told Nylon in early 2023.
“I’m hyper aware that I think when I’m playing, people are going to be filling in, finding their seats, being so hyped, buying merch for [Swift], all the things. I’m just happy to watch her for 30 days. It’s like going to school. It’ll be a master class in performance.”
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After touring with Swift on the Lover songstress’ first United States leg in 2023, Gracie embarked on another of her own headline tours – the Good Riddance Tour – and was nominated for Best New Artist at the 2024 Grammys plus featured on Forbes‘ 30 Under 20 list.
And yes, she’s set to join Swift again for more shows on her Canadian Eras Tour leg, but Gracie is also currently on her Secret of Us Tour, which is set to hit Australian shores in May 2025.
It’s not just her music, however, that’s seen Gracie make headlines in recent months – it’s her personal life and her political beliefs.
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Although Gracie has asked for privacy when it comes to the rumours she’s dating Gladiator II star Paul Mescal, she’s quite outspoken when it comes to politics.
In October 2024, she got up on stage at a Kamala Harris rally, performing I Love You, I’m Sorry in Wisconsin.
Four years earlier, she’d told L’Officiel‘s Noémie Lecoq: “I can’t separate my music from my opinions… it’s a whole that reflects my way of thinking. You shouldn’t be afraid to talk about what you believe in.”
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