Gracie Abrams Bids ‘Good Riddance’ to Her Past Self

Written by Avery Allen

March 16, 2023

On February 23, 2023, Gracie Abrams released her debut album ‘Good Riddance’ with Aaron Desner as producer and co-writer. Despite this being her first album, she’s not a newcomer in the music industry. Abrams had a taste of fame after releasing her EPs, ‘Minor’ and ‘This is What it Feels Like’. Singles such as I miss you, I’m sorry and 21 worked to establish her evolving songwriting reputation: introspective and intimate. Good Riddance is nothing short of that.

Prior to the album’s release, Abrams held a private “hangout” in London. While there, she insisted that fans listen to the album in track order rather than hitting shuffle. After doing so myself, the reasoning behind this request became evident. The tracks follow Abrams’ journey of self-growth, each one carefully curated and placed in a manner that tells her story.

In the opening track, Best, Abrams refers to a past relationship and reflects on her own toxicity. “You were there, all the time/ You’re the worst of my crimes/ You fell hard/ I thought, good riddance.” She willingly places blame on herself, accepting responsibility for the relationship’s failure. This sense of blame has a deeper message, though. In the lyric, “But you still tried to stay/ While I’d self isolate/ And I knew, but I stayed hidden,” Abrams secludes herself despite her partner’s efforts to help. Her mental health struggles hindered the stability of their relationship. In a way, this guilt leads her down a path of self-loathing. Throughout the rest of the album, Abrams has to work through her belief that she is undeserving of love. 

The second track, I Know it Won’t Work, is arguably a continuation of Best. Abrams lets someone go, knowing that their relationship will never succeed. She sings, “Why won’t you try moving on for once? That might make it easy/ I know we cut all the ties but you’re never really leaving/ And part of me wants you back, but/ I know it won’t work like that, huh?”. Abrams knows she made the right decision to end the relationship, but that doesn’t stop her from longing to take it all back. The track also includes a parallel to her most popular song I miss you, I’m sorry. In its chorus, she sings “Nothin’ happened in the way I wanted/ Every corner of this house is haunted.” In I Know it Won’t Work, this metaphor resurfaced: “Cause I’m your ghost right now, your house is haunted.” Deeming herself the ghost signifies a sense of maturation, showing that she recognizes her role as the perpetrator in this particular situation. The song’s production and catchy beat add to its appeal, making it what I like to call a danceable heartbreak song. It’s no surprise that it’s become a fan favorite, and will likely continue to generate traction. 

Photo Courtesy of ABC News

My personal favorite on the album, Will You Cry? is filled with beautifully intricate lyricism and guitar strums. One excerpt of the chorus, “When you talk, you get shallow” references the fading of a relationship’s passion. The initial spark drained, leaving nothing but trivial conversations between them. Since the relationship has already dwindled, Abrams wonders if her soon-to-be ex will cry once it’s over. This song also alludes to prior releases. “Damage lined up/ Wreckage left behind us,” appears to be a reference to “Meet you back in the wreckage, right where you left it,” in the track Wishful Thinking from her EP ‘This is What it Feels Like.’ Instead of returning to the destruction, Abrams is learning to put it behind her and build from scratch. 

Difficult, the first single of the album also approaches Abrams’ struggles with her mental health, specifically anxiety. In the chorus she sings, “Oh, I know/ Spiralin’ is miserable/ I should probably go back home/ Why does that feel difficult, difficult?” Her anxiety-ridden thoughts consume her, trapping her inside her mind. Yet, no matter how aware she is of this, it’s a habit she can’t seem to break. This leads her to self-destruct and ruin the relationships around her, whether they be platonic or romantic. In that way, this track reminds me of Best. She goes on to say “Oh, I hope/ I wake up invisible/ I’d be someone no one knows.” Abram’s constant perturbation is debilitating, so much so that she wishes to be someone else entirely. Difficult sheds a light on the reality of anxiety disorders, and how their effects can be extremely draining. 

The second to last track, The blue, brings a shocking twist. Abrams meets someone new who is everything she’s ever wanted and needed. She never assumed this would happen, and describes that person as coming out of the blue. In the second verse, she sings “I know I’d let you in/ On all my bad decisions,” which hints at the lyric “I’ve been drinking/ And staying up too late reliving bad decisions/ I thought eventually my ranting here would fix it,” in Difficult. This new person has provided her with security, allowing her to truly open up. Such a positive influence in her life causes her to realize her self-worth.

The closing track, Right Now, is perhaps the most intimate. It’s an ode to the growing pains that occur once you find yourself, paired with slow piano chords. It opens with “Look at me, I feel homesick,” and goes on to mention minuscule details of Abrams’ youth: the walls of her bedroom, her fridge light, and a dog in the doorway. However, my favorite detail is the lyric “And the faint overhearing/ Of my mom on the phone/ Through the walls of my bedroom/ Things that I shouldn’t know.” Abrams is able to capture the naïveté of childhood through something as simple as eavesdropping on her mother’s conversations. She is simultaneously nostalgic for her childhood and appreciative of her new life. “Left my past life on thе ground/ Think I’m more alive somehow/ I feel likе myself right now.” This song resonated with me, as I was able to relate it to my own experiences of moving. To pick up your life and leave is something that never gets easier. I’ll always miss what I had before, from the biggest things such as friendships to the most minuscule like the sidewalk where I learned to ride a bike. Right Now puts these bittersweet feelings to music, and gives a voice to the contradicting aspects of growing up. Abrams tells us that in order to move forward, we have to leave something behind because there’s so much more ahead. 

Gracie Abrams has crafted a painstakingly beautiful album. Its vulnerability has struck the hearts of all audiences, including myself. In an interview with Spotify, she said “Good Riddance means surrendering to change,” and there is no better way to put it. I say with utmost certainty that this album secures Abrams’ place in the music industry, proving that she has every right to be here and will stay for quite some time. 

Photo courtesy of Brent Goldman Photography