All The Hidden Details In Gracie Abrams' “Cool” Lyrics

Just when we thought Gracie Abrams had divulged every page of her diary, the 25-year-old singer-songwriter arrived with more to say on the deluxe edition of her sophomore album The Secrets of Us, which dropped Oct. 18. The new collection — released on the heels of a headlining trek and ahead of an opening slot on the last leg of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour — continues the original record’s tradition of candid confession, in-the-moment reflection, and singalong hooks.

In addition to three live performances for Vevo, Abrams expands on The Secrets of Us with four new songs: “That’s So True,” “I Told You Things,” “Packing It Up,” and “Cool.” While the tunes’ themes range from hopeful optimism to romantic regret, the last track (which she premiered at a Chicago show on Sept. 27) finds the typically forthright singer pushing the limits of lyrical vulnerability.

“Cool” sonically evokes its namesake with a glitchy and synth-y intro that gives way to piano. The opening lyrics find Abrams writing from a place of both defensiveness and indifference after a breakup: “I’m actin’ bored, it’s my right / After all the love that you bombed.” And while her vocals hint at conflicting feelings of spite and heartbreak, there’s also no room for resolution, as she reveals: “Time can do somethin’ funny / It can change my mind / Thank God.”

In the chorus, the “Close to You” singer shifts into a bold declaration, seemingly aimed at both an ex and herself: “Now I’m so cool / I’ll be cool for the hell of it.” It’s not just an act of defiance after waiting for a phone call that never came and feeling foolish, but also a self-preservation mechanism after excruciating pain. It’s a moment she lyrically reflects on — “Hate the way I spun ‘round / All the way ‘til I could barely breathe” — before the song drops into abrupt silence and starts back up.

Lyrically, “Cool” parallels both the new track “That’s So True” (which references an ex’s “cool” new blue-eyed girlfriend) and the original album track “Us,” co-written with Swift. Though Abrams is no longer disillusioned by an ex’s “phony superstar” vibe, daggers of hurt pierce through her resolve, especially in the Swiftian name drops of his friends like Dev, Elle, and Cass, whom he “probably met up with.”

Still, the most cutting lyric comes in the second verse as she notices a pattern in this unnamed lover’s dating history: “You stranded Sadie and Sarah when they opened up / A waste of running mascara, you thought we wouldn’t talk.”

OK, between comparing notes with exes and trashing his friends, Abrams hints that she’s not as “cool” as she’d like to be. Nevertheless, every raw detail and admission seems to bring her closer to the healed and indifferent woman she’s promising to be. (“Thanks a lot for nothing / Stop, I’ll be fine,” she sings in the bridge.)

Though these details may invite viral speculation, Abrams told Dazed that the record’s honesty reflects how “insane” and “all over the place” she felt in this relationship. “My brain and heart were being pulled in a trillion different directions,” she said. “It all worked to infuse a real drama into all the songs.”

Furthermore, Abrams’ openness has become a trademark, not just to fans of her music but to her healing process. As she told the Wall Street Journal, “Writing is my first love and where I’ve continuously returned in every chapter of my life. If I were to think about the reception of any of the details I include, it would just censor too much.” It looks like that’s not changing anytime soon.