At last, sad pop whisperer Gracie Abrams has released her third album, Daughter From Hell. Announced in May, the album was among the most highly anticipated releases of the year. Abrams has been performing tracks from the album since early 2025, teasing the project as she was writing it. Known as a confessional songwriter, Daughter From Hell is a deep exploration of Abrams’ own toxic patterns, and how she’s tried to “push and break through” them. As she unpacks her internal struggles one by one, here are some thoughts I had while listening to the album.
1. I Heart Pop Star Gracie Abrams!
Behind the scenes of the "Look at My Life" music video
Photo: @gracieabrams via Instagram
Abrams is known for her “whisper pop”: sad, quiet songs backed by mellow pianos or gentle guitars. But Daughter From Hell marks her third collaboration with Aaron Dessner, a member of the indie rock band The National (and frequent producer of Taylor Swift!), which allowed her to experiment a little bit more. Tracks like “Look at My Life” and “Minibar” have some of Abrams’ most infectious melodies, and synths reminiscent of her biggest pop hits like “That’s So True” and “Close to You”. Great pick-me-ups that are scattered in between some meditative and reflective songs.
2. Self-destruction has never sounded better
Behind the scenes of the "Look at My Life" music video
Photo: @gracieabrams via Instagram
Leave it to Abrams to make spiralling in your head sound like a thrilling ride. She reveals she’s barely keeping it together on “Look at My Life”, the album’s second single. The afterparties? Photos with A-list celebrities? The glitz and the glam? All lies! Behind the scenes, Abrams feels more distressed than not: bawling her eyes out on the bathroom floor, disappearing from her friends, setting fires and breaking glass. But, oh well! At least the synths and the pulsing beat make it seem like she’s having the time of her life.
3. Age makes you wiser – and more sympathetic towards your parents
Abrams and her mother, Katie McGrath
Photo: @gracieabrams via Instagram
The older you get, the more you realise how hard being a parent is, and that’s the conclusion Abrams has come to at 26. The title track of the album is an apology to her mother, reflecting on her rebellious teenage years and how difficult she was. But as she matures, Abrams is able to see things from her mother’s perspective: “You held up our house / And down to my bones / I hope I make you proud.” It’s what every parent wants to hear: appreciation for all the years of hard work and love they’ve put into their children’s lives.
4. Abrams definitely takes after her mentor Taylor Swift
November 16, 2024 Abrams and Swift performing in Toronto during The Eras Tour
Photo: TAS2024/Getty Images
If there’s one thing to know about Abrams, it’s that she’s a massive Swiftie. Abrams has talked about Swift being a massive inspiration and collaborated with her on “us.” back in 2024. She recently said Swift encouraged her to “never stop writing” early in her career. Looks like she took this advice to heart. Lyrics like “I barely deserve it if you do stay / I wish you would anyway” from lead single “Hit the Wall” are very honest and confessional, something Abrams’ mentor would be really proud of.
5. Paul Mescal is as sweet as he seems
Abrams and Mescal getting ready for the 2026 Oscars
Photo: @gracieabrams via Instagram
Everyone and their mother has been swooning over Paul Mescal since Normal People, but Abrams confirms he really is the heartthrob everyone says he is. The pair have been dating since 2024, but keep their relationship relatively private. But Abrams gives us a rare glimpse into their relationship on “Afflictions”, one of the only love songs on the album. She describes Mescal as an anchor to her anxious thoughts, which is reassuring among a tracklist of songs about Abrams’ compulsive tendencies. Bonus fact: Mescal is credited as a songwriter on “Imaginary Friend”!
6. It’s difficult being in your 20s in the 2020s, isn’t it?
Abrams in a "Daughter From Hell" merch t-shirt
Photo: @gracieabramshq via Instagram
As we can all recall, the 2020s started with the Covid pandemic, which really didn’t set a great tone for the decade to say the least. If there’s something that millennials and Gen Zs agree on, it’s that everything in the world has taken a turn for the worse ever since. Abrams puts this angst and concern for society in “Humming”, a song about navigating the world and its complexities in this moment in history. “Do we stay numb? / But you can’t when you’re seeing how they all get off on our grieving.” Tricky feelings put into succinct lyrics is why Abrams is at the top of her game right now.
Editor
Matt ChauCredit
Lead image: @gracieabramshq via Instagram
