Gracie Abrams built “The Secret of Us” to be bigger than anything she’s made before. The 13-track album, out in 2024, keeps her close, personal way of writing but pushes it into a bigger, sweeping sound, with fuller production and a stronger voice than her earlier work. She’s not leaving behind the open, unguarded writing that made her name. She’s making it bigger.
Felt Good About You Opens the Door
The album starts small and gets bigger fast. “Felt Good About You” runs just 2:45 and sets the tone: close, direct, a little wounded. “Risk” follows and is one of the record’s clear high points, tightening the feeling with a chorus built for a crowd to sing back.
Blowing Smoke Through I Love You, I’m Sorry
“Blowing Smoke” stretches out to nearly four minutes without losing its focus. Then comes “I Love You, I’m Sorry,” a 2:37 song that hits hard and fast. It’s brief, but it says everything it needs to.
us. Brings in Taylor Swift
“us.” is the heart of the album. At 4:03, with a Taylor Swift feature, it’s the song that most stands out. The track pairs Abrams and Swift on a shared melody, two voices trading lines over a slow build that turns into a full-band release. It’s the kind of moment that makes a record feel like an event.
Let It Happen Through Tough Love
The middle stretch cools off slightly. “Let It Happen” runs long at 4:21 and leans into mood over hooks. “Tough Love,” at 2:49, is tighter and sharper, a quick hit rather than a slow bruise.
I Knew It, I Know You and Gave You I Gave You I
These two tracks are the album’s weakest stretch. “I Knew It, I Know You” (4:13) and “Gave You I Gave You I” (4:29) both run long without adding much that the earlier tracks haven’t already covered. They’re not bad songs. They’re just the ones you won’t return to on a second listen.
Normal Thing Steadies the Back Half
“Normal Thing” pulls the record back into focus. At 4:02, it earns its place with a melody that sits somewhere between giving up and relief. It’s a quieter kind of standout, less showy than the duet but just as sure of itself.
Good Luck Charlie, Free Now, Close to You
The final stretch is where the album makes its strongest case. “Good Luck Charlie” (3:56) and “Free Now” (3:34) both move with purpose, tightening the pace after the slower middle section. Then “Close to You” closes the record at 3:46, and it’s the best song here. It’s direct, unguarded, and the most fully realized vocal turn on the record.
Here’s the album laid out in order:
| # | Track | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Felt Good About You | 2:45 |
| 2 | Risk | 3:12 |
| 3 | Blowing Smoke | 3:52 |
| 4 | I Love You, I’m Sorry | 2:37 |
| 5 | us. (feat. Taylor Swift) | 4:03 |
| 6 | Let It Happen | 4:21 |
| 7 | Tough Love | 2:49 |
| 8 | I Knew It, I Know You | 4:13 |
| 9 | Gave You I Gave You I | 4:29 |
| 10 | Normal Thing | 4:02 |
| 11 | Good Luck Charlie | 3:56 |
| 12 | Free Now | 3:34 |
| 13 | Close to You | 3:46 |
Key facts:
– Album: “The Secret of Us,” Gracie Abrams, 2024
– 13 tracks
– Metacritic score: 75/100
– Track lengths as listed above
This isn’t a perfect record.
The middle stretch drags in places, and two of the longer tracks feel like they’re chasing a mood rather than building toward one. But the highs here are truly high. “us.” with Swift, “Close to You,” and “I Love You, I’m Sorry” show Abrams writing with more confidence and control than ever before.
Critics generally saw the album as a confident, more anthemic step forward that still keeps her vulnerable, personal writing, with most praising her stronger vocal delivery and sweeping arrangements while noting she has not yet reached a truly classic pop album. That’s a fair summary of what works here.
The record doesn’t settle the argument about whether she’s fully arrived. It makes a real case that she’s getting closer.
- Felt Good About You2:45
- Risk3:12
- Blowing Smoke3:52
- I Love You, I'm Sorry2:37
- us.4:03
- Let It Happen4:21
- Tough Love2:49
- I Knew It, I Know You4:13
- Gave You I Gave You I4:29
- Normal Thing4:02
- Good Luck Charlie3:56
- Free Now3:34
- Close to You3:46
