Gracie Abrams, the 23-year-old singer-songwriter known for her heart-wrenching indie-pop anthems, has boldly shed her sonic skin with her latest single, Risk.
Inspired by the intoxicating rush of newfound infatuation, this track marks a thrilling departure from the introspective sound of her earlier work, akin to pop icons like Lorde and Phoebe Bridgers.
The Los Angeles native first turned heads in 2020 with her vulnerable, confessional songwriting on the EPs Minor and This is What It Feels Like.
Her 2022 debut album, Good Riddance, produced by Aaron Dessner (The National, Taylor Swift), further showcased her knack for transforming youthful introspection into soaring, cinematic indie-pop anthems.
Now, Abrams is back with her latest single, Risk, an unrestrained exploration of infatuation and the perils of falling too fast.
Released on May 1st as the lead single for her sophomore album, The Secret of Us, the track finds Abrams leaning into a bolder, more uninhibited sound inspired by the rush of new romantic desire.
Gracie Abrams: Risk Lyrics Breakdown
Co-written with Audrey Hobert, Risk lyrics captures the dizzying high of a new crush with potent, feverish intensity.
Over a propulsive indie-pop production crafted with Dessner, Abrams’ soaring vocals oscillate between intimate musings and ecstatic, shouted declarations.
In an interview, Abrams shared, “The song is inspired by the mania before you actually even know someone, where you get it all sick and twisted in your head and feel like you have a fever and can’t control your body and mind.”.
This sentiment is palpable throughout the track, as Abrams takes listeners on a journey through the various stages of her infatuation.
Gracie Abrams Risk lyrics take listeners on a journey through the various stages of Abrams’ infatuation, from the initial spark of interest to the all-consuming obsession that follows.
In the opening verse, Abrams admits to actively pursuing her romantic interest, singing, “Look at me now / said I wouldn’t do it, but I hunted you down.”
She acknowledges the potential complications, noting that her love interest “had a girl, but it didn’t work out” and “bought a house, but you had to move out.”
The pre-chorus and chorus capture the restlessness and anxiety that often accompany intense desire.
“Isn’t it fun thinkin’ I’m right when I’m probably wrong? / Holding my breath like I met someone,” she exhales giddily in the second verse.
It quickly becomes evident that wisdom and restraint have been thrown to the wind. “God, I’m jumpin’ in the deep end / It’s more fun to swim in / Heard the risk is drowning but I’m gonna take it,” Abrams proclaims with reckless abandon on the anthemic chorus hook.
Abrams sings of waking up “in the middle of the night” with the realisation that her crush “is not here.”
The chorus is a declaration of her willingness to take the plunge, despite the risks:
“God, I’m jumpin’ in the deep end / It’s more fun to swim in / Heard the risk is drowning, but I’m gonna take it.”
Risk reaches a fever pitch in its bridge, with Abrams seemingly at her breaking point:
“I’m gonna bend ’til I break / And you’ll be my favourite mistake.”
It’s a searing self-critique that few singers of any age could pull off so convincingly.
The raw vulnerability in her repeated plea, “Too soon to tell you ‘I love you,'” is both heartbreaking and relatable.
Gracie Abrams Music Video: A True Cinematic Experience
For the Risk music video, directed by co-writer Hobert, Abrams fully commits to the unravelling narrative.
We see her joyously drunk on infatuation, tailing her subject down neighbourhood streets, crashing a birthday party, and waking up totally lovestruck the next morning.
It’s a true cinematic experience.
Gracie Abrams:An Undeniable Talent
While her famous father, J.J. Abrams, and associations with Olivia Rodrigo have accelerated her rise, Gracie has more than proved herself as an artist with Risk and the rest of her discography.
Her storytelling ability, vocal dynamism, and precocious emotional maturity position her as one of pop’s most intriguing and urgent new voices.
Risk is streaming now on all platforms, with The Secret of Us due later in 2024.
For those who love getting swept up in the thrill of a new romantic obsession, played out in dazzlingly cinematic fashion, this single demands to be experienced.
Don’t miss taking the plunge with Gracie Abrams into love’s deepest, most intoxicating depths.
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Gracie Abrams Risk Lyrics
Verse 1
Look at me now
Said I wouldn’t do it, but I hunted you down
Know you had a girl, but it didn’t work out
Know you bought a house, but you had to move out, and
I’m not proud
Guess I’m just scared of you shootin’ it down
You can just talk, and I’ll stare at your mouth
You could be bad, but I wanna find out, and
Pre-Chorus
And I wake up in the middle of the night
With the light on, and I feel like I could die
‘Cause you’re not here, and it don’t feel right
‘Cause you’re not here
Chorus
God, I’m actually invested
Haven’t even met him
Watch this be the wrong thing, classic
God, I’m jumpin’ in the deep end
It’s more fun to swim in
Heard the risk is drowning, but I’m gonna take it
Post-Chorus
I’m gonna take it
Oh-oh, oh, woah-oh
Verse 2
Isn’t it fun thinkin’ I’m right when I’m probably wrong?
Holding my breath like I met someone
Knowing damn well that I haven’t been touched by you
In my head, you’re in the car, and you’re comin’ to me
And you get to my door, and you can’t even speak
But I think that it’s sweet, yeah, I think that you’re sweet
Pre-Chorus
And I wake up (I wake up) in the middle of the night (Night)
With the light on, and you’re not here
Chorus
God, I’m actually invested
Haven’t even met him
Watch this be the wrong thing, classic
God, I’m jumpin’ in the deep end
It’s more fun to swim in
Heard the risk is drowning, but I’m gonna take it
Bridge
I’m gonna bend ’til I break
And you’ll be my favorite mistake
I wish you could hold me, here shakin’
You’re the risk, I’m gonna take it
Why aren’t you here in my bedroom?
Hopelessly boring without you
Too soon to tell you “I love you”
Too soon to tell you “I love you”
Pre-Chorus
God, I’m actually invested
Think I really want this
I’m not even kidding
No, I’m actually invested
Haven’t even met yet
Wish that I was kidding, I’m not and I hate it
Chorus
God, I’m actually invested
Haven’t even met yet
Watch this be the wrong thing, classic
God, I’m jumpin’ in the deep end
It’s more fun to swim in
Heard the risk is drowning, but I’m gonna take it
Outro
(Oh-oh-oh-oh, oh)
I’m gonna take it
Heard the risk is drowning, but I’m gonna take it
Too soon to tell you “I love you”
Too soon to tell you “I love you”
Too soon to tell you “I love you”
You’re the risk, I’m gonna take it