Following the release of her second studio album “The Secret of Us” in June 2024, Gracie Abrams has since released “The Secret of Us (Deluxe),” on Oct. 18. This album follows Abrams’ debut album “Good Riddance,” released in February of 2023 and her first EPs “This Is What It Feels Like” and “minor” from 2021 and 2020, respectively.
“The Secret of Us (Deluxe)” features four new songs, “Cool,” “That’s So True,” “I Told You Things” and “Packing It Up,” as well as three live recordings of the songs “I Love You, I’m Sorry,” “I Knew It, I Know You” and “Free Now” from the album.
Olivia’s thoughts on ‘Cool’ and ‘That’s So True’
“Cool,” the first song on the deluxe, is a bold tell-all of a relationship that clearly went sour in Abrams’ life. The lyrics of this song paired with the increasing intensity of Abrams’ voice as the song progresses allows for a masterpiece of a confession about a bad partner.
At certain points in the song, I’d like to imagine Abrams talking back to the person she writes about, saying all the things she maybe never got the chance to. “Now I’m so cool / I’ll be cool for the hell of it / You paint a picture of us just to burn it / Fool, I’m a fool if the shoe fits.” It almost seems as if this person told Abrams she was cool and now she has taken that remark and turned it into a song about how this person did her wrong. She’s saying “Look who’s cool now.”
The next song on the deluxe “That’s So True” is one of my favorite songs from Abrams’ entire discography. Abrams performed this song live many times with her friend Audrey and it gained a lot of attention for its unique conversation-like vibe. It reminds me so much of two girls chatting about a guy and his new girl.
Abrams sings this song with her guitar and it has such a catchy, fun, up-beat melody. In the song, she talks about her previous partner’s new girl and warns the new girl to stay away. She sings, “Ooh, bet you’re thinking, ‘She’s so cool’ / Kicking back on your couch, making eyes from / across the room / Wait, I think I’ve been there too, ooh.”
There seems to be an air of jealousy from Abrams towards this new girl when she sings, “Taking down her hair like, oh my God.” It’s obvious that she is a little annoyed about her ex’s current relationship and wants to tell her friend, or her listeners in this case, all the drama and how she feels about this person currently.
This song is just so fun to listen to and scream in the car, I urge everyone to give it a listen whether you can relate or not.
Maryellen’s thoughts on ‘I Told You Things’ and ‘Packing It Up’
“I Told You Things” showcases everything I love so much about Abrams’ music, most especially the bridges of her songs. Her lyricism and ability to convey emotions in her voice shine in her bridges, and “I Told You Things” is no exception.
“Hey, what if I took your call / As more than just a call / As writing on the walls? / You built this cage / Lost color in my face / You’re fearing I’m insane / Hallucination, shame, guilt, pain / More pain,” Abrams pleads in the bridge, showcasing the levels of emotions that come alongside grappling with the loss of a person who you once trusted and opened up to.
“I Told You Things” considers many of the themes explored by Abrams throughout her discography and this project in particular. Abrams describes “The Secret of Us” as a reflection of an “inner tornado.” This song perfectly captures those complex emotions within oneself that can present themselves even more powerfully in relationships.
Unlike “I Told You Things,” the final new addition to the album, “Packing It Up,” presents a much more hopeful side of Abrams’ writing style. “Packing It Up” references a relationship that came as a surprise to her, “Got so damn close to packing it up / But that’s just when you happened.”
The simple, flowy melody of “Packing It Up” represents the hopefulness Abrams describes in starting a new relationship and getting to know someone, and hoping that the relationship blossoms into something beautiful, “And I’d love to complete you / Hope you get all you could ask for.”
Overall, “The Secret of Us (Deluxe”) was such a treat for fans. It felt like a wonderful way to close out “The Secret of Us” era, although I hope there is even more to come. Gracie Abrams is a brilliant and relatable artist, and if you haven’t gotten the chance to dive into her music I strongly recommend giving it a listen.
5/5 Stars
mkane10@ramapo.edu and oparisi@ramapo.edu
Featured photo courtesy of @gracieabrams, Instagram
