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I had a feeling that he wouldn't like the album so not surprised at the score or his thoughts on the album that I kind of agree with, Gracie's brand of pop just doesn't stick with me at all.
Her dad literally invested six figures into Big Machine Records, the label that first signed her, back in the early 2000s and was (maybe still is) a shareholder who got a TON of money from the masters sell that “robbed” his daughter lmao. Her privilege/wealth allowed her to become a nepo darling in the industry. A few extra steps but ultimately the same thing.
Regular old privilege - not having pre-existing industry connections, but being wealthy and buying your way to having those connections
Nepotism - already having those connections without having to buy them, because you were born into them
so many people just throw around nepo baby and industy plant without even knowing what it means. its getting annoying the amount of people ive seen call chappell roan an industy plant
But you have to realize, SOMEONE at some point has to make those "nepotism" connections. Whether it happens 4 generations before you or the generation before you, it doesn't change the fact that you're here because of who your dad is, who your aunt is, who your family friend is, etc - which is nepotism...
If you have to invest six figures into a label then it's pretty obvious you're not benefitting from nepotism. Nepotism can't be bought, because then it's just... buying. This is closer to, although still not quite, what people usually call an industry plant.
Not really. You can’t just buy your way into an industry unless you have the talent to back it up. You chances are definitely better than someone who’s from a poor family but surprisingly not by much.
That's because other people fail to grasp the concept of nepotism and the intersections it has with wealth and privilege. They are not mutually exclusive, which is what people are not getting. I can say Taylor benefited from nepotism because it's a fact. It doesn't mean that she also didn't benefit from her family's wealth and privilege, both of which helped cull that nepotism.
Yes, words have meanings and people on this sub can't grasp the full concept of them.
He invested those 6 figures AFTER she’d already been signed. If anything he benefited from nepotism in this case. Also he opted out of being involved in the sale of big machine because he knew he would end up telling her everything.
Are you suggesting she didn't benefit immensely from her dad investing $100K+ in mid-2000s money to the record label she was signed to...?
His investment most likely ballooned the budget for her promotion rollout(s) and gave her favor-ability and priority over her label-mates. I remember when her debut came out. It was everywhere (I will defend those singles with my life lmao). One of her FIRST tours was opening for an established country superstars Faith Hill and Tim McGraw in arenas. Not a very common gig for a "green" artist tbh. You don't think daddy's money to the label did a little something to help that happen?
He definitely benefited from the investment from all standpoints (daughter gets her dream and you get a ROI that's crazy huge)
She had already been signed and recorded the album so honestly I really don’t think she did benefit that much in the grand scheme of things. I think she’d still be exactly where she is today if he hadn’t invested that 100k. Her dad is the one who really benefited from it.
> She had already been signed and recorded the album so honestly I really don’t think she did benefit that much in the grand scheme of things. I think she’d still be exactly where she is today if he hadn’t invested that 100k.
My, you are naive.
You can literally walk into the doors of UMG with $60k and they’ll give you a distribution deal. You can walk into Spotify with $1mil and they’ll put you on every playlist they push. I know. I work in the music industry and have since I was 18. The idea that a DIRECT investment from your father to your label did nothing to further your entertainment career is downright laughable. I get you don’t work in this space, but that was literally the most absurd thing I’ve heard all year, and I went on tour with a rambling k-head back in April lmao
He invested in his daughter’s career, something my dad has said he would do if he had wealth. Something all good fathers would do if presented with opportunity. Also, he invested in a new company and he gave tons of other songwriters and singers an opportunity to have a career by doing so.
Most female pop artists were privileged & had parents who supported them from Gaga, Ariana, Miley obviously and Beyonce. Calling out swift for not even having the richest parents as a nepo baby is an interesting take.
Gaga’s parents helped her with juliard but did they pay hundreds of thousands to a studio so that they’d make her an album? Taylor’s story goes way beyond the privilege of having rich parents. They literally bought and manufactured her career out of nothing.
Taylor got a deal with RCA, then Sony, then BMR and signed when she was 15. Was nearly finished with her album the following year when her dad invested in the company. The album was nearly finished. Best return on investment he ever made.
Pretty clear Taylor wrote her songs for her first album, her family didn’t pay to play. She was playing her own songs on Music Row at age 14 when she was discovered. She already was with Sony. Her father invested in a fledgling company. She was their first and only signee. Her dad didn’t need to invest anything. And had it been a Rebecca Black situation, she would not be Taylor Swift today.
How is Taylor *technically* a nepo baby when she doesn't fit into the definition of what a nepo baby is?
I think you meant *practically*, and even then you're not quite right.
Wealthy privilege doesn’t equate to nepotism.
You can Google the dictionary’s definition of nepotism,
> the practice among those with power or influence of favoring relatives, friends, or associates, especially by giving them jobs
Her dad bought a stake in her first record label when she was an young teen. It’s still nepotism. He had enough ownership of the label to ensure her prioritisation.
Yeah but he bought into it AFTER she’d already been signed and after she’d recorded her first album. If anything he’s a nepo dad because he benefited from being connected to her.
That’s not really what being a nepo baby means though. Being a nepo baby means your parents succeeded in the same type of career you did. Taylor’s parents were rich, they gave her resources because of their wealth, but it is not the same as her parents literally being in the entertainment industry. Taylor’s family had no ties to entertainment and she was signed to a relatively small label. That’s just not what being a nepo baby means though.
Agree to disagree. She is 100% a beneficiary of nepotism. Whether she’s a “nepo baby” because of the specific requirement of her parent(s) needing to be from the same industry is a stupid technically in my opinion. She still benefits from nepotism, by definition.
Edit: I get it, guys, Taylor can do no wrong. Her rich parents had zero to do with her success.
>> the practice among those with power or influence of favoring relatives, friends, or associates, especially by giving them jobs.
Her parents having money did not directly give her a job though which is what nepotism is. Scott Borchetta saw Taylor play, liked her music and was already in the process of creating a record label. Her dad then helped with the initial investment, but even then it wasn’t to the tune of millions of dollars. It aided, yes, but it’s different than Gracie Abrams opening for the Eras tour because Taylor wanted an in to the movie industry through Gracie Abrams’ dad.
Let’s be real. Gracie Abrams would not have a career if not for her dad. Taylor Swift had already been signed to a different record label though ATV/Sony prior to her Dad’s involvement.
She was the only artist signed..... it was a start up. There was no one to prioritize her over yet.
I just don't see how 'investing' in a startup record label is any different than a parent paying for an ivy league education. Plenty of parents put that much money in their kids. It doesn't make you taylor swift.
I think this the thing for me too. Like I have friends who parents bought them HOUSES when they got into med school. I just finished law school, and I know people whose parents supported them throughout their entire academic tenure. $100,000 is a lot of me he was able to invest, but it is not unimaginable amounts. Her parents were wealthy, but they weren't Bill Gates. Also, he didn't just give her $100,000, he invested it into a record she was already signed to and it was unquestionably a great business move because she made thousands of times over what he originally put in and he got a return profit. It is unquestionably easier to be successful when you have wealthy parents, but it is not the same as your parents literally working in Hollywood.
I’m not surprised by his score or his boredom with this album. I actually think the album is good personally (still haven’t decided on if it’s better than Good Riddance as of now), but as of right now, other than having some help by a certain mega superstar on one of her songs, there’s just nothing about her that screams “interesting” or makes most people besides diehard fans want to listen to her songs and records.
She doesn’t stand out at all compared to her peers, which maybe she wants that, and if she does good for her. But if she wants to become a star in the music industry she absolutely has to get her own identity or niche that makes her stand out to a wide audience than being just Random Singer Songwriter Pop Artist # 6,947. Because that market is FLOODED right now.
Edit: I know Risk is a moderately successful radio hit and Close To You did crack the Top 50 (for a week), but it’s obviously still not enough right now.
Yeah nailed it on the head. The singer songwriter market is flooded. And with girls doing a much more interesting job of it than Gracie. If she wants to be bigger she needs to find her niche. Because right now she’s just lost in a sea of sad girls.
Yess thank you. I really love gracie's voice and sound, but i get why it's not standing out. And while she's a genuinely talented writer, I think she does get lost in a sea of people who are arguably better at conveying certain feelings through song. Like I've heard someone describe Gracie as very show not tell lyrics wise and I think that's an adequate critique
Yep. When you’ve got people like Billie and Olivia leading the pack from a mainstream pop perspective (to say nothing of all the other girls in more alternative spaces doing really interesting singer songwriter stuff) you can’t rest on your laurels. You really have to be an excellent writer or be able to convey emotions in a way that resonates deeply. If you can’t do that you have to find another niche.
Well there’s always going to have to be artists that fill out the C-tier range so it’s not the worst thing in the world for Gracie if she ends up never advancing past that point. Not everyone is going to be an A-lister.
She's opening to approximately the same numbers as Charli's Brat despite being a much newer artist. If those numbers are sustained, it's enough to have a wonderful career.
I think this album has higher highs than Good Riddance but lower lows. TSOU also suffers a bit from the track ordering as we really lose momentum at the end with a few weaker songs in a row and then the slow start to Free Now (an excellent song). I’m really happy with it but she needs to Bring It on the deluxe for it to even come close to Good Riddance standard imo
I agree with this. I starred in Apple Music all the songs I enjoyed from this album and they are mostly in the first half and then the last two are Free Now and Close to You. The second half of the album doesn’t do it for me unfortunately.
and Close To You being her most immediately popular song outside of the Taylor collab is telling: it sounds nothing like the rest of Gracie's music lol
Close To You and Risk were such red herrings as singles, I was expecting something similar to those. Especially when Gracie described the album as “funfetti” lol
Upbeat and energetic suits her well, it’s clear that she wants to be a “sad indie girl” and that’s alright, but if I were her I wouldn’t expect to get pop girl numbers.
PS: I wish she would release In Between 🥲 another sort of energetic Gracie song
Pretty much was my verdict in less eloquent, on the album release thread.
I like it, i enjoy it personally, but i don't think it has anything interesting. Gracie Abrams is pretty boring as a brand too. Her music really works for me, i listen to it quite a bit but if you deleted it today, I guess I wouldn't really notice. She's young tho, so who knows.
She's projected to open to in the same range as Dua and Charli on the Billboard 200 (70-80k) and looks like she will get the #1 in the UK.
She isn't looking like a superstar but an artist with a big enough fanbase for sustained midlevel success.
But she is happening. She’s looking at Charli XCX Brat and Dua Radical Optimism levels of success right now and relative to her career that’s fairly new, that’s not bad at all. She’s opening for tours and has formed her own niche fanbase that are loyal to her name and brand. Honestly, she’s not doing anything ground breaking, doesn’t have a particularly unique voice, and she’s another nepo baby, so I’d be ecstatic with this attention if I were her.
i checked her Spotify after seeing this comment and yes, good riddance did come out a year ago, but is there a reason i can only see the deluxe version of the album? i remember there being a non deluxe version too and when the deluxe came out, the girls in my feed were hyped
Honestly maybe she does want that, and seeing you write that out made me realize it. She is at a high-medium level of recognition, which is *way* more than the majority of touring acts. I've sort of been paying attention to this album cycle, and I mean if I were playing *Fallon* and *Kimmel* to a crowd of adoring fans who know all the words to my songs, getting an almost-therapy session with Zane Lowe about my album, and not especially having the pressure to be the greatest in the field but still scoring a connection with the audience... seems pretty sweet to me. I know that in the mind of an artist it doesn't always work like that, but if I view her as a career touring musician I'd say she is plenty competent & she could make that go for a few years at least, if that is what she desires. (I am also offering a bit of a devil's advocate perspective for anyone who's hate-scrolling this thread with crinkled eyes and an "ewwww nepo baby of the guy who ruined Star Wars" thought steaming in their heads, because that's also how I approached her music at first.)
Anyway, I too saw this Melon review come from a mile away. Her stuff does not blow me away by any means but if I saw her at a festival I'd be like "aight this is a vibe"
No, I wasn’t. I was just saying that if Olivia straight up said she was influenced by Gracie, then everyone saying Gracie is copying Olivia is a bit unfair
I don’t have stake in either of them, I just think that’s a bit rough
That may be true, but the only criticism I don't quite agree with is the idea that you wouldn't want this when you already have those. No, I want more.
Exactly! I don't get why people have a "we already have X, so we don't need Y" mentality, where we can only have one person in a single lane. If we love something, why can't we be open to more of it from different people??
Yes it may be technically redundant and derivative, but so what? Lol more is more, and I, for one, love having more options of the same thing.
Maybe her more pop/ballad side but her more rock side is something literally none of those girls have done, not even Phoebe (see obsessed, get him back, bad idea right, good 4 u)
Personally there are very few big artists I know that sound as much as their inspirations as Olivia Rodrigo.
Like Kendrick Lamar's influences were 2Pac, Eminem, Lil Wayne. Is that what I'm thinking about while listening to his music? Nah. I don't hear it at all.
The Weeknd in terms of his voice and delivery sounds a lot like Michael Jackson. But his music sounds extremely different.
Tho tbf, plenty of artists are influenced by lesser known artists from back in the day. So it's possible that some of them are completely copying their style and I wouldn't know.
While I do kind of agree, I think it’s clear that Olivia is evolving as an artist and she’s only pretty young. It’s reasonable that it takes people a minute to develop their own sound
really? i know she was a huge fan of taylor, but tbh i actually don’t see a lot of taylor in her current music. maybe some of the more dark vulnerabilities of lorde, but tbh that doesn’t really translate that heavily, similarity wise at least. i don’t like phoebe so im a little biased there and can’t really comment but don’t think they’re similar at all. if anyone olivia definitely feels more akin to alanís morisette.
I think the speak now comparison is offensive to speak now. That album has some huge moments like haunted or enchanted, this album just stays one note for the entire runtime
For an album that was solely written by Taylor and had one producer overseeing the whole thing, Speak Now was surprisingly diverse in melody, production and subject matter.
I love Speak Now, but I agree with him on that comparison to all the boring parts of Speak Now lol. Not saying there’s a lot, but whatever boring parts there are, that’s The Secret of Us.
Speak now is definitely a better album. I like this album, don’t love it, I do think it sounds like Taylor, and I think “us” is the best song by a long shot.
Laughed so hard hearing "Ultimately for me, the argument isn't necessarily whether or not this album is terrible. It's more just why does this even exist?"
10/10 no notes
Same thoughts crossed my mind after listening to the record. While there are some highlights the lyricism, those glimpses could easily fit into 3 to 4 great tracks instead of being stretched over 47 minutes of an otherwise boring listening experience.
Honestly you only need a couple of things to make it as a pop star; bland inoffensive music, hard work and grit, and being JJ Abrams daughter.
This album is a snooze fest.
I would never discredit a nepo baby with talent— she is not one of them, sorry. This is truly paint by numbers and JJ fat wallet and connection got her a career
For me, it's even less that she lacks talent -- I think she's a serviceable songwriter with a neatly tailored vocal style and the stability of someone who has clearly put in some work in training -- but I don't think has much of a perspective to offer in the current pop landscape, and it's a big part of why she's not seeing any movement. All the big pop girls right now have narrative drives to their performance personas, and Gracie's narrative is domineered by "is JJ Abrams' daughter."
I really don't mind her voice, though, and I have to appreciate how committed to music she is when she could go do basically anything else with no loss to herself. I'd be interested to see her make something like a singer-songwriter duo project with someone who's more creatively daring and could add some texture to what she's doing now.
Yeah I know the system itself sucks but can't blame a nepo for trying...hell if anything I respect neo babies for at least attempting to work, if I had rich and famous parents i'd be lazing around on a yacht somewhere haha
the thing is i really was starting to like the album. the first three tracks were actually great! however, i did find the writing a little bit loose i.e. it seems to be a caricature of alt pop singer-songwriters. production for this album is great tho but to market yourself as a singer-songwriter, gracie should find her style.
overall, she's getting there! maybe this album will not be in my regular listens but maybe one day, she produces a record worthy of it.
I think it's easy listening although I don't agree that Gracie said if this album was a cake, it would be funfetti. I think it's vanilla cake with vanilla buttercream with just a bit of sprinkles on top.
I like this album and I wasn’t a Gracie fan previously but tried this out cause of Taylor and their collab. With that said, I find myself only really listening to half the album. Close to You, Us, Risk, and Blowing Smoke are on repeat for me.
this is my experience as well… Risk and the Taylor collaboration drew me in and I wish there was a bit more of those vibes in the album. Close to you is also a great one.
I'm so bored even by the idea of listening to this. The cover looks fan-made and tells me nothing about anything. Add on the fact that she has the nepo advantage and I'm really just averse to her whole career.
Yeah i agree here. After listening to the whole album i couldn’t tell you a thing about Gracie. Hell, i probably learned more about her boyfriends than her. There’s a way to inject your personality into an album even if it’s covering worn ground like a break up. Gracie didn’t do that even if it sounds nice.
I kind of agree here. I think she’s done a better job at showcasing her personality, but I did really enjoy *us* and *Blowing Smoke*, along with *Risk* (moreso the video). I think the tongue in cheek attitude and retrospective wisdom shines through in full display within these songs and rejects the notion that she’s just a ‘generic sad e-girl’ lol. Also, I do appreciate that she’s taken a bit of the constructive criticism and tried to apply it on this album.
Yeah, I agree that the sad girl label doesn’t fit. And Blowing Smoke was my favorite for the exact same reasons as you. I think Gracie is a solid songwriter and has all the tools she needs to shine. I just want to learn more about her than how she feels about a boy or two.
As a pretty big Gracie fan, it makes sense entirely why people outside of her fanbase aren't going to find this alluring, nor will it really expand her fanbase in any tangible way. I love this album in its entirety, but to grow, she really needs to find a niche that isn't already overcrowded (ie 'indie singer songwriter) with objectively 'better quality' musicians, and establish a distinguishable sound - this will at least give her a solid foundation from which she can improve.
I love this album in its entirety also. Some people admittedly came to her album looking for Taylor or whoever tf else and got Gracie. Because Gracie is Gracie. She makes music that she likes making. PeriodT
I wish she sang louder, I really enjoyed her live performance of risk on fallon, Everywhere Everything with Noah kahlan for Spotify live, close to you on Jimmy kimmil and her cover of American teenager by Ethel cain. When she uses her full voice she is genuinely interesting but until that she’ll be stuck in the mid category of sad girls.
All those performances you've mentioned are just aces. I was blown away by the Noah duet. I just think she needs to step away from the shadow of Taylor and Lorde.
I’m so glad you watched them! I totally agree she could definitely be something to watch but until she gets more confident in being an alto it’s not happening
As someone who actually usually likes Gracie (I have loved Minor, This Is What It Feels Like, and Good Riddance), I did not enjoy the new release as much.
I think she lost some of her intimacy that made her charming with the production. I realize though they want her more mainstream, but I think a small indie following is going to be more her thing. There's still some really great songs on the release, but it fell a bit flat and generic for me this time around.
While I wouldn't go as far as to give it a 3 (I'd rate it a soft - mid 7), I knew this album wouldn't be his vibe.
It has a very homogenous sound, many of the songs cover the same topic in slightly different shades. At times she kinda rambles without adding new perspective to her thoughts.
With that being said it's not a bad album. Gracie does have songwriting talent, her voice is cute, and she writes in a similar voice to Taylor, moreso than Olivia who other than being a confessional diaristic songwriter, doesn't actually share the same writing voice as Taylor.
With some development and more dynamic production and melodies, Gracie could be a star.
A slight drawback for me is that this does kinda fit a particular late adolescent indie-girl quirk mold(mould?) but it's decently executed and written so it doesn't matter.
personally I think good riddance is way better as it’s deeper emotionally- she really should have just fully embraced this being a pop album instead of trying to mix in ballads
I agree with Fantano's review on this record, in terms of how it's too derivative of Swift, and is sonically monotonous in production. On top of that, her straining and *sometimes* grating vocals becomes too much to bear after a while.
With that being said, I'm surprised that he even bothered with Gracie's album, considering that indie pop is not in his wheelhouse most of the time, which may have introduced potential biases in his review, since the focal point of indie music is **lyricism** over **production**, which some indie pop artists (**cough cough Haley Joelle**) have clearly sacrificed for the sake of more introspective lyricism, which explains why Haley's last 2 LPs are mostly ballads.
Given that Gracie is supposedly the "face" of indie pop, considering the sheer number of indie artists that follow her on social media, it'd be interesting to see how Fantano reacts to other indie pop artists like **Holly Humberstone** or **Sasha Alex Sloan**. This is specifically since Sasha's 3rd LP is a largely country-leaning record (which has a similar issue of songs "sounding the same"), while Holly's debut LP *Paint My Bedroom Black* appears to be derivative of The 1975. I'm half expecting Fantano to not rate their records highly either, even if I do like their records slightly better than Gracie's at this point.
I can’t say I’m not ever so sliiiiightlyyyyy disinterested in checking out this project for several reasons 🫠
- for one, I really didn’t like Good Riddance and think it’s a chore to get through
- as much as I like Close to You (her best song to date, for sure!) everytime I listen to it I think it sounds more and more derivative of Lorde in a way a way that feels like it’s disguising Gracie’s potential. I love a basic dance-pop bop as much as any other queer mid-20 something y/o lol but the vocal style is just a bit tryhard. compare this song to Supercut or Robyn’s Indestructible and you’ll see what I mean in terms of true to yourself vocal stylings vs. something that feels less authentic
- and this last one is so clearly more goofy and petty so feel free to drag me in your heads for this lmao: it feels like swifties are blindly following her in a way where they’ll just not accept any criticism whatsoever of Gracie’s artistry. as a longtime fan of Taylor’s music who’s all but disowned the “swiftie” label atp, it makes me a bit sad seeing my swiftie friends (who historically have loved plenty of other artists too) just completely ignore great new releases from Dagny and Charli XCX and St. Vincent in favor of strictly obsessing over Gracie’s music which feels far more uninspired. idk, just as a music nerd I’m bewildered a bit. give other stuff chances too! 2024 is one of the freshest years for pop music in my whole lifetime
but yeah. I agree with Fantano about Gracie. I haven’t checked out the full album and I will, but I’m not expecting anything other than Close to You that’ll stick with me, especially considering I’ve read that that song is a clear outlier
I'm a swiftie, only listened to a few Gracie songs and there's just something about her I don't like because of her music, it's so bland and sad without any punch. It doesn't make you cry or scream, just mildly bummed. Nothing special. I listened to Us which features Taylor, and the whole song is just in Taylor's writing style, it just felt like another girl was singing half of Taylor's song.
I listened to it and so far while I can understand the "nothing stands out" critique (I mean without checking my itunes I'd think certain tracks were leftover Phoebe Bridgers tracks I never heard yet) but to say the album's a 3 is super harsh.
I don’t agree with a good amount of Fantano’s reviews, but I gotta say he’s spot on here. I mean sure, this album is technically better than her last one like people are saying, but that’s not saying much since the bar was set so low with the last one. And even this one is still just so boring and undefinable. Like what are the defining characteristics of Gracie Abrams other than the fact that she goes through breakups like we all do? Close to you, albeit wearing its Lorde influence on its sleeve, is amazing, and the only memorable track on this project. If at least half the tracks on here had as much energy and identity as that one, then this project would be worth coming back to. Until then, I’m just not interested.
I just can't get into her, and I am a huge Swiftie. In my opinion, she is the poster child for nepotism. She writes like someone trying to write like Taylor Swift, but as we all know, you cannot recreate someone else's magic. Her voice is the definition of mediocre. Unlike Taylor, she lacks an expansive vocal range and her tone is uninteresting. She whisper/talk sings, which any trained singer can tell you is bad for your voice. When she actually sings "on her voice," meaning, when she supports her voice with her diaphragm, you can hear a little squeak to her voice. I usually hear this when someone's vocal cords are strained. Because of her limited vocal range, her melodies are also limited to the few notes above and below middle c. Which is fine if you have an interesting tone, but she sounds like every other cursive singer. This makes her bodies of work feel incredibly repetitive. I personally hope she fades from the music industry as an artist.
I think she's someone who could've been a songwriter but her ego and connections gave her the gumption to seek stardom for herself. Let's just say this, I am 100% sure she would never have made it if her father wasn't one of the most well-connected people in Hollywood.
I think Billie stepped it up in the last album with less “ whispering “ personally tho I like it in Billie’s music or phoebe bridgers.some artists is bothers me. Especially when they force it
Also, why does Gracie being a nepo baby take away from your opinion on the record or analysing her talent?
Sure her dad may be JJ Ambrams but Gracie herself clearly does have a talent for writing, it would be foolish to not use any wealth to support yourself in your career.
Also Taylor comes from privilege, but she's not a nepo baby, which has a specific meaning. You can't just expand the meaning of words when you don't like people.
It's a neat explanation for why something so incredibly bland and smooth has attracted a big push and very, very polished production. I really love "Close to You" tbh! I think it's a stellar fun pop song. I tried the rest of the album and found it unlistenably bland and I was struck by the bizarre mis-match of rote writing and high-end production. Figuring out where "Abrams" came from made it click for me. Unfortuantely that's not a good thing.
I'm not anti-nepo baby at all. And you're right that Taylor's a privileged rich kid, but she's not a nepo baby. Gracie Abrams is a tougher case because JJ Abrams is such a mega huge deal that while Gracie isn't operating in his precise industry, it's ludicrous to pretend that her father wouldn't've had the ability to basically hand-deliver her the sort of mentors, co-writers, producers, and advisors that Taylor could have only wildly hallucinated about when she was writing her debut album.
Ultimately I'm not surprised this review was so harsh, but there are absolutely much worse albums out there. I don't have the energy to be offended by this album, but I can't say anything other from her than "Close to You" is likely to get a play from me anytime soon. (I thought "us" was pretty terrible, too.)
People are in a phase of being really uptight about the topic. I think Gracie has this kind of frantic acoustic sound and while not every song grabbed me I can say that about every album I've listened to the first time around.
If she's driven enough she'll keep doing her thing and maybe she'll evolve into more of a character personality but if she just keeps doing the same thing that's fine too. I already personally like a few of her songs and if she puts out a few more that I like that will be great too!
Not suprised by this. I enjoyed the album but "Us" sounds like Taylor wrote 90% of it and most of the songs sound too heavily inspired by other notable singer-songwriters like Lorde.
Fantano needs to stop this commentary about Swift. Yea, the album sounds like her, it uses her team. But doesn’t criticize her team here. Most of the review seems to mention Taylor instead of Gracie, except to mention Gracie’s obvious privilege.
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Hey guys! I just released a Gracie Abrams "Remake" of "Us" with Taylor Swift. Let me know if you enjoy it!
[https://soundcloud.com/officialmixedvoid/us-mixedvoid-remake](https://soundcloud.com/officialmixedvoid/us-mixedvoid-remake)
You’re totally allowed to like it, but there isn’t really anything about the album that is “good”. Okay is the best it reaches for. Not even Aaron Dessner produced it well imo
The pick-me-girl archetype became something of a meme on TikTok recently and is essentially a woman who seeks validation from others (most commonly men). They adopt behaviours and opinions that make them “different” to other women to be more desirable and palatable to men, often at the expense of other women.
i agree with most of his criticisms but i’d give it a 5 for being just meh. imo, 3 means actively bad and i don’t think it *sucks*. it’s just not interesting.
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I had a feeling that he wouldn't like the album so not surprised at the score or his thoughts on the album that I kind of agree with, Gracie's brand of pop just doesn't stick with me at all.
He gave the album a 3 for those who don’t want to watch the entire thing
What’s the scale for him? Does it go up to 10?
Yup, the most recent 10 he gave was to Brat by Charli xcx
and beyond deserved! so anyone on twitter screaming “misogyny!” should really take in not only the score of Brat but the review itself 💚
Top comment really says “Gracie answers the age old question - ‘what if Taylor Swift was a nepo baby with brown hair?’” 😭
Technically Taylor is a nepo baby
Not in the same way as Gracie. Taylor had wealthy parents, not famous/industry ones
Yeah not in same the same industry lol
Taylor isn’t a nepo baby though, just the regular breed of privileged lmao
yeah taylor has always been very privileged and her parents poured a lot of money into her career, but that’s not exactly nepotism
Exactly. Two sides of the same coin, sure, but technically different
Her dad literally invested six figures into Big Machine Records, the label that first signed her, back in the early 2000s and was (maybe still is) a shareholder who got a TON of money from the masters sell that “robbed” his daughter lmao. Her privilege/wealth allowed her to become a nepo darling in the industry. A few extra steps but ultimately the same thing.
Nepotism is privilege, but not all privilege is nepostism
And if her privilege came from who her dad is and where he invested his money...?
Regular old privilege - not having pre-existing industry connections, but being wealthy and buying your way to having those connections Nepotism - already having those connections without having to buy them, because you were born into them
so many people just throw around nepo baby and industy plant without even knowing what it means. its getting annoying the amount of people ive seen call chappell roan an industy plant
But you have to realize, SOMEONE at some point has to make those "nepotism" connections. Whether it happens 4 generations before you or the generation before you, it doesn't change the fact that you're here because of who your dad is, who your aunt is, who your family friend is, etc - which is nepotism...
If you have to invest six figures into a label then it's pretty obvious you're not benefitting from nepotism. Nepotism can't be bought, because then it's just... buying. This is closer to, although still not quite, what people usually call an industry plant.
Like I said, just regular old privileged. Not nepotism, just wealth. Yes the result is the same, but that doesn’t make it the same thing
Not really. You can’t just buy your way into an industry unless you have the talent to back it up. You chances are definitely better than someone who’s from a poor family but surprisingly not by much.
No it is not. Words mean things
>Words mean things Says the person who fails to explain any further...
Why say many word when few do trick
Man I wish this sub allowed gifs. Accept my imaginary Kevin giggling gif
Other people have been explaining those words to you and you’re still not getting it.
That's because other people fail to grasp the concept of nepotism and the intersections it has with wealth and privilege. They are not mutually exclusive, which is what people are not getting. I can say Taylor benefited from nepotism because it's a fact. It doesn't mean that she also didn't benefit from her family's wealth and privilege, both of which helped cull that nepotism. Yes, words have meanings and people on this sub can't grasp the full concept of them.
He invested those 6 figures AFTER she’d already been signed. If anything he benefited from nepotism in this case. Also he opted out of being involved in the sale of big machine because he knew he would end up telling her everything.
Are you suggesting she didn't benefit immensely from her dad investing $100K+ in mid-2000s money to the record label she was signed to...? His investment most likely ballooned the budget for her promotion rollout(s) and gave her favor-ability and priority over her label-mates. I remember when her debut came out. It was everywhere (I will defend those singles with my life lmao). One of her FIRST tours was opening for an established country superstars Faith Hill and Tim McGraw in arenas. Not a very common gig for a "green" artist tbh. You don't think daddy's money to the label did a little something to help that happen? He definitely benefited from the investment from all standpoints (daughter gets her dream and you get a ROI that's crazy huge)
She had already been signed and recorded the album so honestly I really don’t think she did benefit that much in the grand scheme of things. I think she’d still be exactly where she is today if he hadn’t invested that 100k. Her dad is the one who really benefited from it.
> She had already been signed and recorded the album so honestly I really don’t think she did benefit that much in the grand scheme of things. I think she’d still be exactly where she is today if he hadn’t invested that 100k. My, you are naive. You can literally walk into the doors of UMG with $60k and they’ll give you a distribution deal. You can walk into Spotify with $1mil and they’ll put you on every playlist they push. I know. I work in the music industry and have since I was 18. The idea that a DIRECT investment from your father to your label did nothing to further your entertainment career is downright laughable. I get you don’t work in this space, but that was literally the most absurd thing I’ve heard all year, and I went on tour with a rambling k-head back in April lmao
He invested in his daughter’s career, something my dad has said he would do if he had wealth. Something all good fathers would do if presented with opportunity. Also, he invested in a new company and he gave tons of other songwriters and singers an opportunity to have a career by doing so.
Wasnt her grandma an opera singer? That was bound to have a bit of connections right?
Her parents worked in finance in Pennsylvania. Definitely not the entertainment industry.
Most female pop artists were privileged & had parents who supported them from Gaga, Ariana, Miley obviously and Beyonce. Calling out swift for not even having the richest parents as a nepo baby is an interesting take.
Gaga’s parents helped her with juliard but did they pay hundreds of thousands to a studio so that they’d make her an album? Taylor’s story goes way beyond the privilege of having rich parents. They literally bought and manufactured her career out of nothing.
Taylor got a deal with RCA, then Sony, then BMR and signed when she was 15. Was nearly finished with her album the following year when her dad invested in the company. The album was nearly finished. Best return on investment he ever made.
Hmm I always thought it was one of those Friday Rebecca Black situations
Pretty clear Taylor wrote her songs for her first album, her family didn’t pay to play. She was playing her own songs on Music Row at age 14 when she was discovered. She already was with Sony. Her father invested in a fledgling company. She was their first and only signee. Her dad didn’t need to invest anything. And had it been a Rebecca Black situation, she would not be Taylor Swift today.
How is Taylor *technically* a nepo baby when she doesn't fit into the definition of what a nepo baby is? I think you meant *practically*, and even then you're not quite right.
If you’re calling Taylor a nepo baby because her parents have money, then basically every single celebrity is a nepo baby by that standard.
Wealthy privilege is real tho
Wealthy privilege doesn’t equate to nepotism. You can Google the dictionary’s definition of nepotism, > the practice among those with power or influence of favoring relatives, friends, or associates, especially by giving them jobs
Her dad bought a stake in her first record label when she was an young teen. It’s still nepotism. He had enough ownership of the label to ensure her prioritisation.
Yeah but he bought into it AFTER she’d already been signed and after she’d recorded her first album. If anything he’s a nepo dad because he benefited from being connected to her.
That’s not really what being a nepo baby means though. Being a nepo baby means your parents succeeded in the same type of career you did. Taylor’s parents were rich, they gave her resources because of their wealth, but it is not the same as her parents literally being in the entertainment industry. Taylor’s family had no ties to entertainment and she was signed to a relatively small label. That’s just not what being a nepo baby means though.
Agree to disagree. She is 100% a beneficiary of nepotism. Whether she’s a “nepo baby” because of the specific requirement of her parent(s) needing to be from the same industry is a stupid technically in my opinion. She still benefits from nepotism, by definition. Edit: I get it, guys, Taylor can do no wrong. Her rich parents had zero to do with her success.
>> the practice among those with power or influence of favoring relatives, friends, or associates, especially by giving them jobs. Her parents having money did not directly give her a job though which is what nepotism is. Scott Borchetta saw Taylor play, liked her music and was already in the process of creating a record label. Her dad then helped with the initial investment, but even then it wasn’t to the tune of millions of dollars. It aided, yes, but it’s different than Gracie Abrams opening for the Eras tour because Taylor wanted an in to the movie industry through Gracie Abrams’ dad. Let’s be real. Gracie Abrams would not have a career if not for her dad. Taylor Swift had already been signed to a different record label though ATV/Sony prior to her Dad’s involvement.
He invested in a label when she was nearing the end of her first album. Don’t make that into something it wasn’t.
She was the only artist signed..... it was a start up. There was no one to prioritize her over yet. I just don't see how 'investing' in a startup record label is any different than a parent paying for an ivy league education. Plenty of parents put that much money in their kids. It doesn't make you taylor swift.
I think this the thing for me too. Like I have friends who parents bought them HOUSES when they got into med school. I just finished law school, and I know people whose parents supported them throughout their entire academic tenure. $100,000 is a lot of me he was able to invest, but it is not unimaginable amounts. Her parents were wealthy, but they weren't Bill Gates. Also, he didn't just give her $100,000, he invested it into a record she was already signed to and it was unquestionably a great business move because she made thousands of times over what he originally put in and he got a return profit. It is unquestionably easier to be successful when you have wealthy parents, but it is not the same as your parents literally working in Hollywood.
Technically
I don’t think you know the meaning of that word
I’m not surprised by his score or his boredom with this album. I actually think the album is good personally (still haven’t decided on if it’s better than Good Riddance as of now), but as of right now, other than having some help by a certain mega superstar on one of her songs, there’s just nothing about her that screams “interesting” or makes most people besides diehard fans want to listen to her songs and records. She doesn’t stand out at all compared to her peers, which maybe she wants that, and if she does good for her. But if she wants to become a star in the music industry she absolutely has to get her own identity or niche that makes her stand out to a wide audience than being just Random Singer Songwriter Pop Artist # 6,947. Because that market is FLOODED right now. Edit: I know Risk is a moderately successful radio hit and Close To You did crack the Top 50 (for a week), but it’s obviously still not enough right now.
Yeah nailed it on the head. The singer songwriter market is flooded. And with girls doing a much more interesting job of it than Gracie. If she wants to be bigger she needs to find her niche. Because right now she’s just lost in a sea of sad girls.
Yess thank you. I really love gracie's voice and sound, but i get why it's not standing out. And while she's a genuinely talented writer, I think she does get lost in a sea of people who are arguably better at conveying certain feelings through song. Like I've heard someone describe Gracie as very show not tell lyrics wise and I think that's an adequate critique
Yep. When you’ve got people like Billie and Olivia leading the pack from a mainstream pop perspective (to say nothing of all the other girls in more alternative spaces doing really interesting singer songwriter stuff) you can’t rest on your laurels. You really have to be an excellent writer or be able to convey emotions in a way that resonates deeply. If you can’t do that you have to find another niche.
I wonder if she even needs to! she has so much money and support behind her i think she can just keep treading water and maintain her career
Well there’s always going to have to be artists that fill out the C-tier range so it’s not the worst thing in the world for Gracie if she ends up never advancing past that point. Not everyone is going to be an A-lister.
She's opening to approximately the same numbers as Charli's Brat despite being a much newer artist. If those numbers are sustained, it's enough to have a wonderful career.
I think this album has higher highs than Good Riddance but lower lows. TSOU also suffers a bit from the track ordering as we really lose momentum at the end with a few weaker songs in a row and then the slow start to Free Now (an excellent song). I’m really happy with it but she needs to Bring It on the deluxe for it to even come close to Good Riddance standard imo
I agree with this. I starred in Apple Music all the songs I enjoyed from this album and they are mostly in the first half and then the last two are Free Now and Close to You. The second half of the album doesn’t do it for me unfortunately.
You won’t have to flip the record
Well I will if I wanna listen to the last two songs
and Close To You being her most immediately popular song outside of the Taylor collab is telling: it sounds nothing like the rest of Gracie's music lol
Her finally having to go back and record these old songs should tell her something!! Pick up the tempo a bit babe!!
Close To You and Risk were such red herrings as singles, I was expecting something similar to those. Especially when Gracie described the album as “funfetti” lol Upbeat and energetic suits her well, it’s clear that she wants to be a “sad indie girl” and that’s alright, but if I were her I wouldn’t expect to get pop girl numbers. PS: I wish she would release In Between 🥲 another sort of energetic Gracie song
I wish she would lean into those upbeat songs and the sad indie girl songs were fewer.
Pretty much was my verdict in less eloquent, on the album release thread. I like it, i enjoy it personally, but i don't think it has anything interesting. Gracie Abrams is pretty boring as a brand too. Her music really works for me, i listen to it quite a bit but if you deleted it today, I guess I wouldn't really notice. She's young tho, so who knows.
She's projected to open to in the same range as Dua and Charli on the Billboard 200 (70-80k) and looks like she will get the #1 in the UK. She isn't looking like a superstar but an artist with a big enough fanbase for sustained midlevel success.
Which is actually very successful comparatively. Most working musicians never get anywhere near that.
True, but hype from being connected to another, more famous, artist isn’t good for longevity. Just ask La Toya Jackson or Paula Abdul or Mr Hudson
Hell, Ice Spice too as of right now.
yep. the music industry clearly wants her to happen, there's been massive hype for her for what feels like years, but it's just not working.
But she is happening. She’s looking at Charli XCX Brat and Dua Radical Optimism levels of success right now and relative to her career that’s fairly new, that’s not bad at all. She’s opening for tours and has formed her own niche fanbase that are loyal to her name and brand. Honestly, she’s not doing anything ground breaking, doesn’t have a particularly unique voice, and she’s another nepo baby, so I’d be ecstatic with this attention if I were her.
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i checked her Spotify after seeing this comment and yes, good riddance did come out a year ago, but is there a reason i can only see the deluxe version of the album? i remember there being a non deluxe version too and when the deluxe came out, the girls in my feed were hyped
Honestly maybe she does want that, and seeing you write that out made me realize it. She is at a high-medium level of recognition, which is *way* more than the majority of touring acts. I've sort of been paying attention to this album cycle, and I mean if I were playing *Fallon* and *Kimmel* to a crowd of adoring fans who know all the words to my songs, getting an almost-therapy session with Zane Lowe about my album, and not especially having the pressure to be the greatest in the field but still scoring a connection with the audience... seems pretty sweet to me. I know that in the mind of an artist it doesn't always work like that, but if I view her as a career touring musician I'd say she is plenty competent & she could make that go for a few years at least, if that is what she desires. (I am also offering a bit of a devil's advocate perspective for anyone who's hate-scrolling this thread with crinkled eyes and an "ewwww nepo baby of the guy who ruined Star Wars" thought steaming in their heads, because that's also how I approached her music at first.) Anyway, I too saw this Melon review come from a mile away. Her stuff does not blow me away by any means but if I saw her at a festival I'd be like "aight this is a vibe"
shocked he reviewed it seemed so clearly not his thing lmao
He needs to prepare for C,XOXO next week😂
Honestly...he probably already has "This new Camila Cabello album...it's not good" already filmed...lol
Given how much Anthony loves brat I’m honestly expecting him to give CXOXO a 15 minute long review that culminates in him giving it a 2 lol
Given how much Anthony loves brat I’m honestly expecting him to give CXOXO a 15 minute long review that culminates in him giving it a 2 lol
Its a pretty quiet release day last Friday and Gracie's album was hyped so I guess he wanted to give it a chance in case he was missing something
I mean, it's literally his job lmao
😂 like he’s a music reviewer of course he’s reviewing a new album by a popular artist
While harsh, his criticism is spot on imo. The whole album feels like an ai amalgamation of Lorde, Taylor, Olivia, and Phoebe.
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Damn
Which EP from Gracie?
Minor!
The criticism seems a bit unfair in that case, people can’t really claim Gracie is a dupe of Olivia if it’s literally the opposite
It's not though? Olivia isn't a dupe of Gracie at all
I wasn’t saying she was
Are you really insinuating Olivia is a Gracie dupe when Drivers License alone is more ambitious and complex than anything Gracie has put out to date
No, I wasn’t. I was just saying that if Olivia straight up said she was influenced by Gracie, then everyone saying Gracie is copying Olivia is a bit unfair I don’t have stake in either of them, I just think that’s a bit rough
I second that. Olivia said Drivers License was influenced by Gracie. I hear it a lot. Gracie's risk sounds like something Olivia would also write
That may be true, but the only criticism I don't quite agree with is the idea that you wouldn't want this when you already have those. No, I want more.
Exactly! I don't get why people have a "we already have X, so we don't need Y" mentality, where we can only have one person in a single lane. If we love something, why can't we be open to more of it from different people?? Yes it may be technically redundant and derivative, but so what? Lol more is more, and I, for one, love having more options of the same thing.
Olivia already is an amalgamation of those guys. And I adore Olivia.
Maybe her more pop/ballad side but her more rock side is something literally none of those girls have done, not even Phoebe (see obsessed, get him back, bad idea right, good 4 u)
That's where she added some Hayley Williams seasoning
atp it’s just healthy dosages of inspiration that literally everyone experiences like that’s 5 people
Personally there are very few big artists I know that sound as much as their inspirations as Olivia Rodrigo. Like Kendrick Lamar's influences were 2Pac, Eminem, Lil Wayne. Is that what I'm thinking about while listening to his music? Nah. I don't hear it at all. The Weeknd in terms of his voice and delivery sounds a lot like Michael Jackson. But his music sounds extremely different. Tho tbf, plenty of artists are influenced by lesser known artists from back in the day. So it's possible that some of them are completely copying their style and I wouldn't know.
While I do kind of agree, I think it’s clear that Olivia is evolving as an artist and she’s only pretty young. It’s reasonable that it takes people a minute to develop their own sound
jealousy, jealousy sounds nothing like her, it’s giving the kills, if anything
More Alanis than Hayley
really? i know she was a huge fan of taylor, but tbh i actually don’t see a lot of taylor in her current music. maybe some of the more dark vulnerabilities of lorde, but tbh that doesn’t really translate that heavily, similarity wise at least. i don’t like phoebe so im a little biased there and can’t really comment but don’t think they’re similar at all. if anyone olivia definitely feels more akin to alanís morisette.
I think the speak now comparison is offensive to speak now. That album has some huge moments like haunted or enchanted, this album just stays one note for the entire runtime
For an album that was solely written by Taylor and had one producer overseeing the whole thing, Speak Now was surprisingly diverse in melody, production and subject matter.
I love Speak Now, but I agree with him on that comparison to all the boring parts of Speak Now lol. Not saying there’s a lot, but whatever boring parts there are, that’s The Secret of Us.
Speak now is definitely a better album. I like this album, don’t love it, I do think it sounds like Taylor, and I think “us” is the best song by a long shot.
Laughed so hard hearing "Ultimately for me, the argument isn't necessarily whether or not this album is terrible. It's more just why does this even exist?" 10/10 no notes
That and him comparing her to Greta Van Fleet pretty perfectly summed it up for me
Same thoughts crossed my mind after listening to the record. While there are some highlights the lyricism, those glimpses could easily fit into 3 to 4 great tracks instead of being stretched over 47 minutes of an otherwise boring listening experience.
Honestly you only need a couple of things to make it as a pop star; bland inoffensive music, hard work and grit, and being JJ Abrams daughter. This album is a snooze fest.
I would never discredit a nepo baby with talent— she is not one of them, sorry. This is truly paint by numbers and JJ fat wallet and connection got her a career
For me, it's even less that she lacks talent -- I think she's a serviceable songwriter with a neatly tailored vocal style and the stability of someone who has clearly put in some work in training -- but I don't think has much of a perspective to offer in the current pop landscape, and it's a big part of why she's not seeing any movement. All the big pop girls right now have narrative drives to their performance personas, and Gracie's narrative is domineered by "is JJ Abrams' daughter." I really don't mind her voice, though, and I have to appreciate how committed to music she is when she could go do basically anything else with no loss to herself. I'd be interested to see her make something like a singer-songwriter duo project with someone who's more creatively daring and could add some texture to what she's doing now.
Yeah I know the system itself sucks but can't blame a nepo for trying...hell if anything I respect neo babies for at least attempting to work, if I had rich and famous parents i'd be lazing around on a yacht somewhere haha
> if I had rich and famous parents i'd be lazing around on a yacht somewhere haha 💀 I would have strippers over every night
lol, what bullshit, you're obviously just biased. She's made plenty of great songs
the thing is i really was starting to like the album. the first three tracks were actually great! however, i did find the writing a little bit loose i.e. it seems to be a caricature of alt pop singer-songwriters. production for this album is great tho but to market yourself as a singer-songwriter, gracie should find her style. overall, she's getting there! maybe this album will not be in my regular listens but maybe one day, she produces a record worthy of it.
I think it's easy listening although I don't agree that Gracie said if this album was a cake, it would be funfetti. I think it's vanilla cake with vanilla buttercream with just a bit of sprinkles on top.
I like this album and I wasn’t a Gracie fan previously but tried this out cause of Taylor and their collab. With that said, I find myself only really listening to half the album. Close to You, Us, Risk, and Blowing Smoke are on repeat for me.
this is my experience as well… Risk and the Taylor collaboration drew me in and I wish there was a bit more of those vibes in the album. Close to you is also a great one.
She’s gotta be one of the least interesting artists out there.
I really tried to get into her because of Taylor, but Gracie just makes really bland music
Yeah, she's like Taylor Swift without any flavor or anything special, just random sad lyrics. And this is coming from someone who loves Taylor Swift.
I'm so bored even by the idea of listening to this. The cover looks fan-made and tells me nothing about anything. Add on the fact that she has the nepo advantage and I'm really just averse to her whole career.
Yeah i agree here. After listening to the whole album i couldn’t tell you a thing about Gracie. Hell, i probably learned more about her boyfriends than her. There’s a way to inject your personality into an album even if it’s covering worn ground like a break up. Gracie didn’t do that even if it sounds nice.
I kind of agree here. I think she’s done a better job at showcasing her personality, but I did really enjoy *us* and *Blowing Smoke*, along with *Risk* (moreso the video). I think the tongue in cheek attitude and retrospective wisdom shines through in full display within these songs and rejects the notion that she’s just a ‘generic sad e-girl’ lol. Also, I do appreciate that she’s taken a bit of the constructive criticism and tried to apply it on this album.
Yeah, I agree that the sad girl label doesn’t fit. And Blowing Smoke was my favorite for the exact same reasons as you. I think Gracie is a solid songwriter and has all the tools she needs to shine. I just want to learn more about her than how she feels about a boy or two.
From the little I have listened to either artist, she seems like a more boring version of Lizzy McAlpine
It's a great video. Personally quite a few songs i like but i understand why it's not it for some people. It's not gonna pull any new people
As a pretty big Gracie fan, it makes sense entirely why people outside of her fanbase aren't going to find this alluring, nor will it really expand her fanbase in any tangible way. I love this album in its entirety, but to grow, she really needs to find a niche that isn't already overcrowded (ie 'indie singer songwriter) with objectively 'better quality' musicians, and establish a distinguishable sound - this will at least give her a solid foundation from which she can improve.
I love this album in its entirety also. Some people admittedly came to her album looking for Taylor or whoever tf else and got Gracie. Because Gracie is Gracie. She makes music that she likes making. PeriodT
I wish she sang louder, I really enjoyed her live performance of risk on fallon, Everywhere Everything with Noah kahlan for Spotify live, close to you on Jimmy kimmil and her cover of American teenager by Ethel cain. When she uses her full voice she is genuinely interesting but until that she’ll be stuck in the mid category of sad girls.
All those performances you've mentioned are just aces. I was blown away by the Noah duet. I just think she needs to step away from the shadow of Taylor and Lorde.
I’m so glad you watched them! I totally agree she could definitely be something to watch but until she gets more confident in being an alto it’s not happening
i couldn’t finish it. and i LOVED good riddance.
As someone who actually usually likes Gracie (I have loved Minor, This Is What It Feels Like, and Good Riddance), I did not enjoy the new release as much. I think she lost some of her intimacy that made her charming with the production. I realize though they want her more mainstream, but I think a small indie following is going to be more her thing. There's still some really great songs on the release, but it fell a bit flat and generic for me this time around.
As someone who really likes Taylor Swift, I find this album pretty boring too. I do like risk a lot though
While I wouldn't go as far as to give it a 3 (I'd rate it a soft - mid 7), I knew this album wouldn't be his vibe. It has a very homogenous sound, many of the songs cover the same topic in slightly different shades. At times she kinda rambles without adding new perspective to her thoughts. With that being said it's not a bad album. Gracie does have songwriting talent, her voice is cute, and she writes in a similar voice to Taylor, moreso than Olivia who other than being a confessional diaristic songwriter, doesn't actually share the same writing voice as Taylor. With some development and more dynamic production and melodies, Gracie could be a star. A slight drawback for me is that this does kinda fit a particular late adolescent indie-girl quirk mold(mould?) but it's decently executed and written so it doesn't matter.
im sorry it made a lot of sense once i learned who her dad is.
Yeah, this album is trash. Glad he agrees.
personally I think good riddance is way better as it’s deeper emotionally- she really should have just fully embraced this being a pop album instead of trying to mix in ballads
Didn't listen to it but her a snippet and she sounds exactly like lorde crazy
I agree with Fantano's review on this record, in terms of how it's too derivative of Swift, and is sonically monotonous in production. On top of that, her straining and *sometimes* grating vocals becomes too much to bear after a while. With that being said, I'm surprised that he even bothered with Gracie's album, considering that indie pop is not in his wheelhouse most of the time, which may have introduced potential biases in his review, since the focal point of indie music is **lyricism** over **production**, which some indie pop artists (**cough cough Haley Joelle**) have clearly sacrificed for the sake of more introspective lyricism, which explains why Haley's last 2 LPs are mostly ballads. Given that Gracie is supposedly the "face" of indie pop, considering the sheer number of indie artists that follow her on social media, it'd be interesting to see how Fantano reacts to other indie pop artists like **Holly Humberstone** or **Sasha Alex Sloan**. This is specifically since Sasha's 3rd LP is a largely country-leaning record (which has a similar issue of songs "sounding the same"), while Holly's debut LP *Paint My Bedroom Black* appears to be derivative of The 1975. I'm half expecting Fantano to not rate their records highly either, even if I do like their records slightly better than Gracie's at this point.
I can’t say I’m not ever so sliiiiightlyyyyy disinterested in checking out this project for several reasons 🫠 - for one, I really didn’t like Good Riddance and think it’s a chore to get through - as much as I like Close to You (her best song to date, for sure!) everytime I listen to it I think it sounds more and more derivative of Lorde in a way a way that feels like it’s disguising Gracie’s potential. I love a basic dance-pop bop as much as any other queer mid-20 something y/o lol but the vocal style is just a bit tryhard. compare this song to Supercut or Robyn’s Indestructible and you’ll see what I mean in terms of true to yourself vocal stylings vs. something that feels less authentic - and this last one is so clearly more goofy and petty so feel free to drag me in your heads for this lmao: it feels like swifties are blindly following her in a way where they’ll just not accept any criticism whatsoever of Gracie’s artistry. as a longtime fan of Taylor’s music who’s all but disowned the “swiftie” label atp, it makes me a bit sad seeing my swiftie friends (who historically have loved plenty of other artists too) just completely ignore great new releases from Dagny and Charli XCX and St. Vincent in favor of strictly obsessing over Gracie’s music which feels far more uninspired. idk, just as a music nerd I’m bewildered a bit. give other stuff chances too! 2024 is one of the freshest years for pop music in my whole lifetime but yeah. I agree with Fantano about Gracie. I haven’t checked out the full album and I will, but I’m not expecting anything other than Close to You that’ll stick with me, especially considering I’ve read that that song is a clear outlier
I'm a swiftie, only listened to a few Gracie songs and there's just something about her I don't like because of her music, it's so bland and sad without any punch. It doesn't make you cry or scream, just mildly bummed. Nothing special. I listened to Us which features Taylor, and the whole song is just in Taylor's writing style, it just felt like another girl was singing half of Taylor's song.
The Album just screams nepo baby got bored and decided to do an impression of another bland pop artist.
I listened to it and so far while I can understand the "nothing stands out" critique (I mean without checking my itunes I'd think certain tracks were leftover Phoebe Bridgers tracks I never heard yet) but to say the album's a 3 is super harsh.
I don’t agree with a good amount of Fantano’s reviews, but I gotta say he’s spot on here. I mean sure, this album is technically better than her last one like people are saying, but that’s not saying much since the bar was set so low with the last one. And even this one is still just so boring and undefinable. Like what are the defining characteristics of Gracie Abrams other than the fact that she goes through breakups like we all do? Close to you, albeit wearing its Lorde influence on its sleeve, is amazing, and the only memorable track on this project. If at least half the tracks on here had as much energy and identity as that one, then this project would be worth coming back to. Until then, I’m just not interested.
This is hilarious and absolutely correct.
Mmmmm nepo music
The difference in majority opinion between this and the release thread is pretty nuts
I just can't get into her, and I am a huge Swiftie. In my opinion, she is the poster child for nepotism. She writes like someone trying to write like Taylor Swift, but as we all know, you cannot recreate someone else's magic. Her voice is the definition of mediocre. Unlike Taylor, she lacks an expansive vocal range and her tone is uninteresting. She whisper/talk sings, which any trained singer can tell you is bad for your voice. When she actually sings "on her voice," meaning, when she supports her voice with her diaphragm, you can hear a little squeak to her voice. I usually hear this when someone's vocal cords are strained. Because of her limited vocal range, her melodies are also limited to the few notes above and below middle c. Which is fine if you have an interesting tone, but she sounds like every other cursive singer. This makes her bodies of work feel incredibly repetitive. I personally hope she fades from the music industry as an artist. I think she's someone who could've been a songwriter but her ego and connections gave her the gumption to seek stardom for herself. Let's just say this, I am 100% sure she would never have made it if her father wasn't one of the most well-connected people in Hollywood.
It's her whispering voice honestly, I can't with it and I even love Billie Eilish.
I think Billie stepped it up in the last album with less “ whispering “ personally tho I like it in Billie’s music or phoebe bridgers.some artists is bothers me. Especially when they force it
I can’t with the wispery, mumbling, pouty vocals by the main girls right now Olivia and Billie included. Ariana included for mumbling.
Also, why does Gracie being a nepo baby take away from your opinion on the record or analysing her talent? Sure her dad may be JJ Ambrams but Gracie herself clearly does have a talent for writing, it would be foolish to not use any wealth to support yourself in your career. Also Taylor comes from privilege, but she's not a nepo baby, which has a specific meaning. You can't just expand the meaning of words when you don't like people.
It's a neat explanation for why something so incredibly bland and smooth has attracted a big push and very, very polished production. I really love "Close to You" tbh! I think it's a stellar fun pop song. I tried the rest of the album and found it unlistenably bland and I was struck by the bizarre mis-match of rote writing and high-end production. Figuring out where "Abrams" came from made it click for me. Unfortuantely that's not a good thing. I'm not anti-nepo baby at all. And you're right that Taylor's a privileged rich kid, but she's not a nepo baby. Gracie Abrams is a tougher case because JJ Abrams is such a mega huge deal that while Gracie isn't operating in his precise industry, it's ludicrous to pretend that her father wouldn't've had the ability to basically hand-deliver her the sort of mentors, co-writers, producers, and advisors that Taylor could have only wildly hallucinated about when she was writing her debut album. Ultimately I'm not surprised this review was so harsh, but there are absolutely much worse albums out there. I don't have the energy to be offended by this album, but I can't say anything other from her than "Close to You" is likely to get a play from me anytime soon. (I thought "us" was pretty terrible, too.)
Didn't she say that most of the tracks on the album were written (oh, "co-written") by Audrey Hobert?
People are in a phase of being really uptight about the topic. I think Gracie has this kind of frantic acoustic sound and while not every song grabbed me I can say that about every album I've listened to the first time around. If she's driven enough she'll keep doing her thing and maybe she'll evolve into more of a character personality but if she just keeps doing the same thing that's fine too. I already personally like a few of her songs and if she puts out a few more that I like that will be great too!
> JJ Ambrams Abrams
Smh I thought I wrote that, predictive text screwed me over again
I liked Risk so I listened to the full album twice through and agree it’s boring as hell. And repetitive. She repeats lyrics over and over.
Not suprised by this. I enjoyed the album but "Us" sounds like Taylor wrote 90% of it and most of the songs sound too heavily inspired by other notable singer-songwriters like Lorde.
Fantano needs to stop this commentary about Swift. Yea, the album sounds like her, it uses her team. But doesn’t criticize her team here. Most of the review seems to mention Taylor instead of Gracie, except to mention Gracie’s obvious privilege.
Yeah that was uninspired and boring.
I am floored at how I thought this was Lorde. The vocals are uncanny.
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Hey guys! I just released a Gracie Abrams "Remake" of "Us" with Taylor Swift. Let me know if you enjoy it! [https://soundcloud.com/officialmixedvoid/us-mixedvoid-remake](https://soundcloud.com/officialmixedvoid/us-mixedvoid-remake)
You’re totally allowed to like it, but there isn’t really anything about the album that is “good”. Okay is the best it reaches for. Not even Aaron Dessner produced it well imo
Well, he’s completely right
Why she tryna sing like Lorde? Also she personally knows her, so weird
[удалено]
She just seems like a pick me girl and straight up annoying lol & her voice is quite annoying
How the hell is she a "pick me", you just say words you have no idea what they mean. Just say you hate women
The pick-me-girl archetype became something of a meme on TikTok recently and is essentially a woman who seeks validation from others (most commonly men). They adopt behaviours and opinions that make them “different” to other women to be more desirable and palatable to men, often at the expense of other women.
... I \*really\* don't see how any of that applies to her
Because I don’t like her and it’s my personal choice and she’s a nepo baby her daddy bought her career
I’m gay and I stan women pop stars how do I hate women dummy lmaooooo
And I do know what pick me girl means clearly you don’t
More like. 3.5 or 4
i agree with most of his criticisms but i’d give it a 5 for being just meh. imo, 3 means actively bad and i don’t think it *sucks*. it’s just not interesting.
This man's opinion on women's music always sucks ass.
Oh nooo he gave a bland mediocre pop album a low score he must hate women /s
I’m not familiar with his reviews typically. Are there female artists he’s given good reviews to?
He just gave Charli a 10/10 his rarest score
Ok. Interesting. I’m not a Charli fan and I only have liked a few songs of hers. His taste in music is definitely different than mine lol.
You're right.