After a brief break from touring due to illness, Gracie Abrams triumphantly returned to the stage at London’s O2 Arena, greeted by a capacity crowd and a sea of bows—a now-recognisable symbol of her devoted fan base. The atmosphere felt charged with both relief and anticipation, as fans who had feared they might not see her perform were finally rewarded for their patience.
Abrams wasted no time in making the night an intimate affair despite the arena’s vastness. The singer opened with ‘Felt Good About You’ and she sang from behind a huge metal grid which doubled as a screen. The stage was sparse, devoid of the elaborate spectacle often associated with pop shows, ensuring the focus remained squarely on her words, music, and presence. When Abrams appeared in an elegant long nude-coloured dress, she moved with an effortless grace. Her every gesture was laced with sincerity—kneeling to sing directly to fans, reaching out to touch hands, and at moments looking every bit like a movie star against the dramatic lighting, particularly during ’21’. As she ascended the steps to the platform for ‘Where do we go now?’, she turned back toward the audience, momentarily frozen in a strikingly cinematic moment of reflection.
Early in the set, following ‘Friend’, Abrams addressed her recent absence, speaking candidly about how she felt isolated while recovering and how much she had missed performing. She talked about the importance of friendship and how overwhelmed she was to play in front of such a large crowd, contrasting it with 2021 when she played to 150 people at Omeara in London. Abrams praised her opening act, Dora Jar, for deciding to play small gigs in the two cities where Abrams’ shows had been postponed and even playing Abrams’ covers. The singer implored her fans to check out the online videos. It was a heartfelt moment that set the tone for the evening—one of gratitude, connection, and emotional honesty.
Throughout the night, Abrams proved herself not just as a vocalist but as a musician, seamlessly switching between electric and acoustic guitars and piano, fully engaging with her talented band. From the poignant electric piano on ‘Gave You I Gave You I’, to the haunting ethereal acoustic piano of ‘I miss you, I’m sorry’, to the acoustic guitar strumming on power-ballad ‘That’s So True’, Abrams proved her versatility. Likewise, her band demonstrated their ability to breathe real life into tracks that took on far more emotion live. A particularly electric moment came during ‘Friend’, where the singer all but worshipped her lead guitarist mid-song before introducing the band one by one.
The concert was full of small but significant details that showcased her artistic evolution. She has clearly borrowed ideas from her contemporaries—fans wearing ribbons as Swifties wear friendship bracelets, a B-stage for an intimate mid-show segment, even a secret/surprise song moment. On ‘Tough Love’ there was the floaty Florence-esque barefoot dancing. But, rather than feeling like imitation, these touches felt natural, woven into Abrams’ world in a way that was uniquely hers. Props were used sparingly, such as the strobe lights at the start of ‘Normal Things’ or sitting on a speaker opposite her guitarist for a beautiful rendition of ‘Rockland’, which felt so intimate. This was a track that she challenged the audience to prove they knew. They did!
The B-stage segment was, without question, a highlight. Abrams stepped into a meticulously recreated childhood bedroom, a nod to the setup she used for her intimate Zoom concerts during the 2020 Covid pandemic. Here, she took Polaroids with fans, spoke about the importance of friendship, and performed a hauntingly beautiful rendition of the six-minute opus ‘Right now’ that left the arena in hushed reverence.
Then came an unexpected treat—‘Death Wish’, a brand-new song played live for the first time. Introducing it with a playful clarification that it was about a narcissist her friend had dated (and definitely not about her), Abrams relished the thrill of debuting something fresh, and the crowd responded with immediate adoration. Even without familiarity, the song landed, proving how deep Abrams’ connection with her audience runs. She concluded her bedroom set with the break-up ballad ‘I miss you, I’m sorry’. The song concluded a segment of the show that echoed folklore in its vibe. Given that Aaron Dessner has written or produced with both Abrams and Taylor Swift, the comparison is not surprising.
As the singer returned to the main stage for the final stretch of the set, the bond between artist and audience felt even stronger. And this is the thing with Gracie Abrams – she truly connects with her fans. While lyrically she focuses on angst like Phoebe Bridgers or on relationships like Swift and Rodrigo, she brings her own level of intimate honesty to the stage. Her music, often introspective and emotionally heavy, transforms in a live setting. Songs that might blend on record instead burst with raw intensity and vulnerability, making each lyric resonate even deeper.
By the time the night reached its climax, with the entire arena belting out the Swift collaboration ‘us.’ at full volume, it was clear that Abrams didn’t need elaborate production or gimmicks to make an impact. She may be a master of introspective songwriting but the singer showed she also can whip a crowd into a dance frenzy. As the band played the chords to ‘That’s So True’, which spent an incredible eight weeks topping the UK charts, 17,000 fans moshed, bounced and sang along in unison, challenging those who describe Abrams’ music as bland.
Abrams brought the night to a close with the upbeat synth-pop number, ‘Close To You’ to end a gig where there were no costume changes, floating stages or fireworks. But, this didn’t matter. A guitar, a piano, her deeply personal lyrics, and that strikingly sincere connection with her fans were enough. In ‘I Love You, I’m Sorry’ she sings, “I’ll have a drink, wistfully lean out my window and watch the sunset on the lake / I might not feel real, but it’s okay.” And here’s the thing. In a crowded landscape of confessional singer-songwriters, Abrams stands out because of one simple truth: she is real. And that might just be her greatest superpower.
Words by Andrew Butcher
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