How Taylor Swift Inspired Gracie Abrams to Stick with Writing Daily

Gracie Abrams has only good things to say about her tour colleague and collaborator Taylor Swift.

In a recent interview with porterThe Grammy-nominated singer called Swift an “incredible artist, friend and mentor” – and cited her as “one of the reasons why” she “stayed true to writing every day.”

“Now I feel like crap if I don’t. It’s like eating well, getting enough sleep, drinking enough water,” Abrams told the outlet. “Writing helps my brain maintain the basic rest that I need to function at the highest level in all other areas.”

Abrams, 24, first performed as the opening act for Swift’s successful Eras Tour in April 2023, performing at concerts across North America. She will reunite with the “Cruel Summer” singer for the final North American leg of the tour in late 2024.

In May, Abrams also revealed that she was lucky enough to co-write a song with the superstar and announced that Swift will be featured on the fifth track of her upcoming album. The secret of us.

“All I can tell you right now is that writing this song together was the most fun of my life. Hands down,” Abrams wrote on X (formerly Twitter) after the announcement. “I’m smiling and sweating right now thinking about it and I’ll never get over the shock of seeing this song on the tracklist. You know how I feel.”

In the interview, Abrams also thanked her colleagues for paving the way for her to “have a voice.”

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“The kind of freedom and security that I personally feel is entirely due to the women in this industry who have now given us the space to not only have a voice in our business, but also a voice in songwriting,” said Abrams, daughter of war of stars Director JJ Abrams.

On the night of the 2024 Grammy Awards – where Abrams was nominated for Best New Artist alongside Fred…, Ice Spice, Jelly Roll, Coco Jones, Noah Kahan, Victoria Monét and The War and Treaty – there was “something in the room that felt so much more sincere and real and supportive at the end,” Abrams also noted.

“I think what touched me so much throughout the process and sitting with the other nominees was that I got to see them all up close and get to know them, beyond what I already admired so much about their music,” she said.

Ahead of the release of her upcoming album and to the delight of her fans, Abrams recently released the track “Close to You,” a song she first teased on Instagram nearly seven years ago.

“It wasn’t at all the direction I felt comfortable going in at the time, and until this album I never felt there was a place for it,” Abrams said porter. “The reaction was pretty quick and lasted a long time. It’s the song I got the most messages about.”

Abrams’ second studio album, The secret of uswill be released on June 21st.