Words by Katherine Cardinale
Last month, singer-songwriter Gracie Abrams headlined London’s O2 Arena as part of her critically acclaimed The Secret of Us Tour and treated her fans to an emotional live performance of the currently unreleased track, “Death Wish.” The song was an instant hit among Gracie’s devoted fanbase, who have eagerly embraced it as her first solo release since 2024’s The Secret of Us. The song, described to be about “a friend of [Gracie’s] who was recently dating a mega narcissist,” is a heart wrenching ballad and the latest testament to Gracie’s incredible songwriting and versatility as an artist.
In an Instagram post announcing the live recording’s official debut on streaming platforms, Gracie stated that “This is the first and only time I’ve played this song, but I wanted you to have this version before anything else. Thank you to everyone who was in the room that night. I love you and I miss you and maybe you’ll be able to hear yourself in the recording x.” Gracie has maintained a particularly close relationship with her fan base since the very beginning of her musical journey, and this latest release reinforces her ability to create relatable music for her audience, despite her notable rise in popularity over the past year.
Fans have also pointed out that “Death Wish” seems to be a thematic and sonic departure from The Secret of Us, which stands out from the rest of Gracie’s discography as her most pop-infused body of work yet. The ballad was co-written with Gracie’s longtime collaborator and friend, Aaron Dessner, and is reminiscent of 2023’s Good Riddance. Although an official studio version of “Death Wish” is not yet confirmed to be on any of Gracie’s upcoming projects, fans are eager at the thought of it being a hint at the direction in which her sound could be heading.
Gracie is setting out on another leg of her tour supporting The Secret of Us tomorrow, and it includes her first-ever stops in countries such as Thailand, Singapore, and more. You can view the full list of her upcoming tour dates here.
Loudspeaker Collective 