“I felt a little sick”: Gracie Abrams opens up about pressure and songwriting slump

Gracie Abrams may be one of pop’s rising stars, but even she isn’t immune to the pressures of chasing the next big hit.

In her raw and candid tell-all with Billboard, the songstress revealed that the success of her breakout track, That’s So True, left her feeling stuck in a creative wall as the new year began.

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“Every time I sat down to try to write something, I felt a little sick. I was thinking, like, ‘How do I do something that will beat it?’”

She added that the growing spotlight on her career has brought an overwhelming amount of chatter.

“There are more people [than ever] telling you what’s going on charts-wise, radio-wise, streaming numbers, whatever. That can start to be internalized, and I actually really hate how that feels.”

Despite the pressure, Abrams continues to carve her path, one lyric at a time. Her debut album Good Riddance entered the Billboard 200 chart in 2023 and peaked at No. 52.

Since then, her career has been on a fast track, drawing comparisons to fellow pop darlings Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter.

But while fans may group them together as the next generation of pop powerhouses, Abrams isn't quite ready to see herself in that league just yet.

“When I think about both of their rises, it’s like, boom, I feel like I’ve almost slipped under the radar a little bit [in comparison].”

Gracie Abrams says no thanks to stan wars and online drama: “It’s boring as h*ll”

With her rapid rise to fame and copious narratives left and right, Gracie Abrams is, unsurprisingly, dominating online discussions. From her signature bob and toned abs to rumors linking her to Paul Mescal, the internet loves to talk (and fight) about her.

But for Abrams, those unpleasant comments simply don’t exist because she intentionally tunes them out.

“I can know that 10 people a day are having that conversation on Twitter — that’s cool for them. I’m just going to mind my own business, really.”

Aware that engaging in stan wars can be damaging and detaching to one’s life, she said:

“I feel like any time I’ve slipped into paying too much attention to that, I’m less present in my life, I’m less available for people I know and love.”

The Close To You singer added how it can impact her and her music, saying:

“It’s not good for me as a person, it’s not good for the art that I want to make. It’s boring as h*ll.”

Meanwhile, Abrams revealed that she finds it more difficult to silence her inner critics. Thankfully, with producer Aaron Dessner at Long Pond by her side, she powered through and emerged with a collection of songs that could form her next project, whether a full album or a series of extended plays.

Still, navigating the pressures of her rising career remains a constant challenge for the I know it won’t work hitmaker.

“I’ve just been trying to take the pressure off myself to have to reinvent. I hope that I don’t get in my own way so much.”

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