Gracie Abrams didn't expect to release her sophomore album The secrets of us this soon, the “Close to You” singer said. billboard. But after touring with Taylor Swift, the 24-year-old was so taken with the idea of ”unrequited love so strong it 'felt like a disease'” that she couldn't put down the pen. Fittingly, a cornerstone of the record is track no. 5, “Us,” a reference to the titular group whose secrets are being spilled, which was co-written by none other than Swift herself.
In the intimate and synthetic ballad, which sounds like a sonorous sister folklore, thanks to production from Taylor mainstays Aaron Dessner and Jack Antonoff, the singers reflect on past relationships and wonder if their exes are losing their connection as much as they are. The Swiftian lyrical influence is strong from the first prechorus, as Abrams admits: “What seemed like destiny becomes 'What the hell was I doing?' / Babylonian lovers hanging lives from a vine / Did you miss mine? The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, a remarkable feat of engineering and gardening that many historians believe never existed. It's also a reference Swift made in 2020's “Cowboy Like Me” and a hint at the secretive nature of intimacy Abrams sings about.
Lyrically, the song seems to deal with a relationship dynamic similar to Swift's “All Too Well.” Abrams said billboard that the two singers were listening to Dessner instrumentals when the inspiration for the song struck. “Something caught our ear at the same time very loud and fast,” he said. “So we ran to the piano and started writing this song … I used to fantasize about this kind of thing when I was a kid.”
Perhaps one of the most apt lyrics about the secret affair comes in the second verse, as Abrams explains the sacred feeling of the relationship. “You're twenty-nine years old / So how can you be cold when I open the house,” her lyrics go. The line seems to point toward actor Dylan O'Brien, who was 29 when he and Abrams were rumored to be dating in early 2022. (He also happened to star in Swift's film). Too good: The short film.) The man in question also apparently left a “Robert Bly book on my bedside table.” The work of the controversial poet has been associated with toxic masculinity and male maturity, making it even more “ironic” that this ex acted apparently immaturely in ending their relationship.
The idea of ”chemical” and “incomparable” connections is front and center for the rest of the record, which may have inspired Abrams to title the album with a particularly nostalgic lyric: “Wondering if you regret the secret of us.” (As Dessner said billboard“[This song] he just wore it all [about Gracie’s album] focused in a beautiful way.”) And it seems to reflect the levels of secrecy that Abrams, and by extension Swift, are no longer willing to endure in their relationships. “This album has meant a lot to me because it supported me through a period of transitions,” Abrams said. billboard. “I've learned about how I like to spend my time, about what works and doesn't work for me in relationships, about how having friends is finally the priority for me.”
