Gracie Abrams’ “Risk” Is Chaotic Indie-Pop Perfection For the Delulu Girlies
Photo: Abby Waisler
“God, I'm actually invested / Haven't even met him / Watch this be the wrong thing, classic.”
If you have ever had a crush on literally anyone ever, then Gracie Abrams’ newest single, “Risk” is for you.
“Risk” is a song for the people who stay up at night making up play-by-play scenarios with the stranger who looked in their direction on the train earlier that day. It’s a song for the people who stalk so hard that they end up on their crush's great aunt’s Facebook album from their summer vacation in Hawaii in 2008. It’s for the people who get lost in their daydreams and for the people who risk it all for love—even—and especially—when the lover in question doesn’t even know you exist.
Throughout “Risk,” Abrams deals with the highest highs and lowest lows that come with crushing hard, from fantasizing about every little detail of their entire existence to panicking at the thought of things not working out, ultimately deciding that this crush is, indeed, worth any and all risk. Abrams sings, “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.” As the song progresses, Abrams delivers with a yearning and aggression that can only be understood by those who get invested in someone before even meeting them. (We see you and we hear you.)
Over swirling vocals and finger-plucked strings that pan from ear to ear, Abrams introduces us to the newest iteration of her traditionally indie-pop sound, one that is fast-paced, free of expectations, and overall fun. The production of “Risk” is reminiscent of Lorde circa Melodrama with a pinch of Taylor Swift’s unabashed storytelling style—sonically and thematically, it feels like we are witnessing Abrams let loose, and what has resulted is an absolute earworm of a tune.
As if “Risk” isn’t great enough on its own, the music video only amplifies the themes of desire and delulu. Directed by Audrey Hobert, we watch a wine-drunk Abrams embark on a mission to get her man, pushing herself to the nearest edge and facing obstacles along the way. A destroyed cake, a followed crush, and a crashed party later, we witness a happy-go-lucky Abrams, and it feels heartwarming to see.
“Risk” is chaotic indie-pop perfection for the girls who get a little too obsessed, a little too soon, and we can’t get enough of it. “Risk” arrives as the first single ahead of Abrams’ upcoming album The Secret Of Us, slated for release on June 21.
Watch the "Risk" video below:
