Gracie Abrams Concert Review at Radio City Music Hall: So Much More Than Just “Sad Girl Pop”

Let’s talk about “sad girl pop,” music’s most exciting new subgenre.

Over the last five years or so, “sad-girl pop” has become a catch-all term for female singers who combine their confessional songwriting – often full of heartache, angst and introspection – with sounds from indie rock, folk and more traditional pop choirs. The hyper-emotional tunes resonate with the artists' Gen-Z fan bases, who are more than happy to scream, cry and wail along to the torments of Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish and Phoebe Bridgers.

But wait, don't a lot of male artists follow the exact same formula? Yet no one refers to Ed Sheeran, Noah Kahan, Justin Bieber or even Drake as “sad boy pop.”

No, female-only “sad girl pop” is a way of oversimplifying and devaluing many of the industry's most impactful, raw, and regularly sensational artists. Luckily for some, her popularity has plummeted past such tear-stained ceilings.

Enter Gracie Abrams, the latest singer-songwriter to defy the stereotype and gain respect in mainstream circles. Abrams, 25, has had a whirlwind past 18 months: The Los Angeles-raised star spent much of the spring and summer of 2023 opening stadium concerts on Taylor Swift's world-famous “Eras Tour.” Last fall, she received a Grammy nomination for best new artist. And in June of this year, she released her second LP, The Secret of Us, which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard album chart (behind only Swift).

The album, without a doubt one of my favorites of 2024, is a brilliantly biting, bruising collection of folk-pop, heavily influenced by the tongue-twisting and lively lyricism of Swift and Bridgers. Swift herself appears on one song (the plaintive “Us”) and the album was largely produced by The National's Aaron Dessner, who has also become known as a frequent Swift collaborator.

Sure, Abrams being drawn into the Taylor-verse hasn't exactly hurt her growing fame. Neither does her status as the daughter of famous film and television director JJ Abrams.

However, any “Nepo Baby” dismissals were also drowned out by Abrams' instantly sold-out “Secret of Us” tour this fall, which occupied three nights at Radio City Music Hall this weekend.

Pop pandemonium reigned at the historic theater on Saturday night as throngs of teenage and college-aged girls and women flooded the halls and spilled onto 50th Street while the lines were overflowing. Most fans wore bows or ribbons in their hair, a nod to Abrams' previous hairstyle and his general appreciation for girliness and flirty aesthetics (that's my understanding after a few informative TikToks).

Abrams himself, wearing his hair up, a crop top and a floor-length striped skirt, sang songs for an hour and 45 minutes to a consistently deafening response. One advantage of “Sad Girl Pop”: The enormous emotional investment makes for extremely cathartic live performances. While fans sang along screaming, many wept openly – one particularly affected young woman sitting in front of me cried from start to finish and tracked her running mascara on Snapchat photos. Abrams did her best to lean into the front row of her crowd, hugging, comforting and accepting a bouquet of flowers from some of her hysterical fans.

However, the singer spent most of her performance at the microphone, strumming her acoustic guitar or strumming chords on her keyboard, backed by a four-piece band. With her Radio City weekend featuring her biggest headlining shows to date, Abrams was up to the challenge, her raw, pleading vocals as clear and full of character as they were in the studio.

Abrams spoke with conviction as she addressed her audience at the outset:

“This album surprised me and is the result of very big feelings in a very short time, and this process that led to these songs changed my life,” she said. “You all have changed my life and I am so grateful to be able to say “thank you” in your faces tonight.

“This community has become a place where I have been able to return to find light and joy at a time when I believe that is extremely important,” she continued. “It's the safe place I'm more grateful for than you know, and getting a glimpse into your life is a privilege. It’s all very real to me.”

While each heartbreaking song was a rousing sing-along, highlights included an electrifying rendition of her yearning single “Risk,” the stirring desperation of “I Love You, I'm Sorry,” and the stadium-ready bridge in “I Knew It.” . I know you,” which would shake the theater to its foundations.

Speaking of stadiums, Abrams will return to those monstrous stages later this month, opening Swift's remaining 18 Eras Tour shows in the US. With their fan base much more established (and better songs in tow), their experience should be a lot more eruptive than last year.

But for now, Radio City would have to do. Abrams moved effortlessly on her two-tiered stage, a confident and very present performer who felt spiritually connected to her fans throughout the night.

She also used her platform to make a political statement emphasizing the importance of voting, stating: “I believe that true democracy is synonymous with freedom, the freedom to control your body, the freedom to read books , that expand your mind, the freedom to love who you love, to take care of your neighbor, whether they just arrived here or have been here forever.”

The set ended with “Close to You,” her latest single, which sets itself apart from most of her acoustic songbook by being a faster, more radio-ready song with heavier synths and drums.

Their fans jumped, danced and sang in pure enthusiasm until the last notes. I didn't see a sad girl in the building.

Gracie Abrams' set list

October 5, 2024 – Radio City Music Hall, New York

Encore:

• “us.”
• “Near you”

Related coverage: