Celebrating Five Years of Minor by Gracie Abrams

By Kayla Harper

 

It was five years ago today that early fans of Abrams, myself included, sat down and listened to Minor for the first time.  It was the first time Abrams released a multi-song project rather than a single.

Gracie Abrams’s debut EP Minor was released on July 14, 2020 and featured seven songs.   Of the seven songs, three had been released previously as promotional singles “21”, “I miss you, I’m sorry” and “Long Sleeves” which alongside two singles “Meant It” and “Stay” released in 2019 made up the singers discography at the time.

Minor is effortlessly cohesive with each track flowing in and out of each other forming an indie-bedroom-pop sound unique to this project of Abrams’s.  Of all her musical projects, I believe Minor is the one in which we see the most Lorde-influence -Lorde is one of Abrams’s favourite artists and was especially influential to her in the early days of her musical career as she was a young female artist within the same age-group as Abrams.

A lot of Abrams’s songs in the first part of her career were produced with producer -and her boyfriend at the time- Blake Slatkin.  Slatkin’s involvement gave these early songs the prominent indie-bedroom-pop sound that is not as present in her albums, Good Riddance and The Secret Of Us which lean more alternative-pop and at times even have and indie-folk-pop sound, most likely due to being produced by Aaron Dessner from The National.  Dessner started working with Abrams on her second EP This Is What It Feels Like released in 2021.

Most of the songs on Minor were written when Abrams’s was in her late teens with a focus on struggling through emotional conflict whether that was in relationships or within oneself.   Minor’s overall melancholy tone approaches these topics with a vulnerability that especially shines through in Abrams’s soft voice and method of singing, as well as her emotionally confrontational lyrics that are introspective as they are not afraid to put the blame on oneself.

As a fifteen-year-old girl going into my first year of high school, navigating my own emotions due to the turmoil of adolescence -conflicting relationships with friends, lovers and myself, the vulnerability and overall essence of Minor really stuck with me and allowed me to work through these feelings.

At the time of Minor’s release, Abrams still felt like secret kept by a small group of super fans.  Her ability to connect with these people even amidst the pandemic is what allowed her to grow this group of people into the large and loyal fanbase she has today.  Since Abrams couldn’t play live shows when Minor was released (because of the pandemic) she instead played with the concept of livestreams, doing the Minor Bedroom Shows – a virtual tour in which she played shows from her bedroom over zoom, one for each city and fans could sign up and attend for free.  The nature of the Minor Bedroom Shows was so intimate and casual, it allowed Abrams small fanbase at the time to get really close with her, having full-length conversations and creative input. Eventually when she was allowed to play real shows she would go on her first ever headline tour, the I’ve Missed You I’m Sorry tour – a short run of shows in small venues across the U.S. and UK.

Many people don’t realize that despite being a small artist, Minor influenced some of today’s biggest artists.  For example, Olivia Rodrigo’s song “Driver’s License” was the single that started her music career and really launched her into mainstream success.  However, without Abrams’s “I miss you, I’m sorry”, “Driver’s License” may not have existed.  Rodrigo explains she was inspired by Abrams to write “Driver’s Licence” after driving around and listening to “I miss you, I’m sorry” on repeat!

Since this day five years ago when Minor was released, Abrams’s career and fanbase have grown at an exponential rate, with her now headlining major festivals, arenas and earning spots at the top of Billboard charts.  While part of this is due to the mass exposure she received as an opener on Taylor Swift’s iconic Eras Tour, an even bigger part of it is due to the hard work and dedication Abrams has approached her craft with.  She has allowed this momentum to keep rolling by remaining as authentic with a couple million followers as she was with a couple thousand.  She’s maintained a personal relationship with her fans, continuing to make them feel like they are a part of everything.

Since Minor was released, Abrams has released another EP, This is what it feels like, and two albums, Good Riddance and The Secret Of Us.  While all of her projects are amazing, aside from “Friend”, “21” and “I miss you, I’m sorry”, Minor sometimes seems to be overshadowed by the others as her first release.  If you’re a new fan of Abrams here is which Minor song might be worth checking out based on your favourite tracks from Abrams more recent releases and what this says about you! (Most of these similarities are based more on theme and lyrics more than sonically).

 

1. “Friend” 

If “Friend” is your favourite track off of Minor you may have gone through a relationship-related conflict recently whether it was romantic or platonic and it resulted in cutting someone off.  When undergoing these situations you can become resentful and this overrides your ability to forgive someone and see it from an alternate perspective.  What’s done is done, and you pretend you’ve moved on even though you’re still stuck on it all out of spite.

If songs like “I Knew It, I Know You” (The Secret Of Us, 2024), “Where do we go now?” (Good Riddance, 2023), “Older” (This Is What It Feels Like, 2021), “Two People” (Good Riddance, 2023), “Blowing Smoke” (The Secret Of Us, 2024), “Cool” (The Secret Of Us, 2024),  etc. are some favourites, you’ll probably find “Friend” relatable!

 

2. “21”

If “21” is your favourite track off of Minor you probably deal with conflicting emotions often and are bad at making decisions.  Even though you’ve let someone go, you haven’t mentally or emotionally let them go and you anxiously watch their every move.  You know it was right, or at least you think it was right to leave, but you’re unsure of every decision you make. Most times you’re the problem.

If songs like “I know it won’t work” (Good Riddance, 2023), “For Real This Time” (This Is What It Feels Like, 2021), “Best” (Good Riddance, 2023), “The Bottom” (This Is What It Feels Like, 2021), “That’s So True” (The Secret Of Us, 2024), etc. are some favourites, you’ll probably find “21” relatable!

 

3. “Under/Over”

If “Under/Over” is your favourite track off of Minor you probably deal with conflict by burying it in the back of your mind and approach it with a “fake it ’til you make it” attitude. However, this never works as you’re always suffering in silence from these emotions and without properly addressing them they don’t go away.  You’re also indecisive and find it difficult to process your emotions.

If songs like “For Real This Time” (This Is What It Feels Like, 2021), “Where do we go now?” (Good Riddance, 2023), “This is what the drugs are for” (Good Riddance, 2023), “Normal Thing” (The Secret Of Us, 2024), etc. are some favourites, you’ll probably find “Under/Over” relatable!

 

4. “Tehe” 

If “Tehe” is your favourite track off of Minor you most likely ignore problems until they grow out of proportion and there is no choice, but to address it because of this you also let yourself get taken advantage of often.  You have trouble communicating your feelings and boundaries with others and this creates an emotional disconnection in your relationships with them.

If songs like “Brush Fire” (Single, 2020), “Painkillers” (This Is What It Feels Like, 2021), “Wishful Thinking” (This Is What It Feels Like, 2021), “I should hate you” (Good Riddance, 2023), “Felt Good About You” (The Secret Of Us, 2024), “I Told You Things” (The Secret Of Us, 2024), “Gave You I, Gave You I” (The Secret Of Us, 2024), etc. are some favourites, you’ll probably find “Tehe” relatable!

 

5. “I miss you, I’m sorry” 

If “I miss you, I’m sorry” is your favourite track off of Minor you’re probably overly nostalgic of the past and have trouble moving on because of it.  You are also someone who is able to own up for your mistakes, but maybe apologizes too much or when they don’t need to.  You’re constantly thinking about how you screwed up that relationship and wondering how things could be different now if you hadn’t.

If songs like “I Love You, I’m Sorry” (The Secret Of Us, 2024), “Rockland” (This Is What It Feels Like, 2021), “us.” (The Secret Of Us, 2024), “Full Machine” (Good Riddance, 2023), “Older” (This Is What It Feels Like, 2021), etc. are some favourites, you’ll probably find “I miss you, I’m sorry” relatable!

 

6. “Long Sleeves” 

If “Long Sleeves” is your favourite track off of Minor you’ve grown to leave the things that no longer serve you even if it hurts.  You know when something or someone is not good for you and you can also recognize when you are not good for something or someone.  Even if it rips you apart, you’ve learned to walk away from these things.  However, sometimes the pain of it all still haunts you.

If songs like “I Knew It, I Know You” (The Secret Of Us, 2024), “For Real This Time” (This Is What It Feels Like, 2021), “Where do we go now?” (Good Riddance, 2023), “Fault Line” (Good Riddance, 2023), “Will you cry?” (Good Riddance, 2023), “Tough Love” (The Secret Of Us, 2024), “I Told You Things” (The Secret Of Us, 2024), etc. are some favourites, you’ll probably find “Long Sleeves” relatable!

 

7. “Minor” 

If “Minor” is your favourite track off of Minor you may or may not be in a relationship that is illegal or disapproved of.  You think it’s love, but usually it’s just the first time you’ve felt important to someone and it’s not love. When you like somebody you feel so strongly and would do anything to be with them even if it means breaking curfew.

If songs like “Close To You” (The Secret Of Us, 2024), “Let It Happen” (The Secret Of Us, 2024), “Normal Thing” (The Secret Of Us, 2024), “Full Machine” (Good Riddance, 2023), etc. are some favourites, you’ll probably find “Minor” relatable!

 

Of course, these are just suggestions, if you love Abrams’s music, you’ll love Minor!