Photo Credit: Getty Images
Gracie Abrams is opening up about how her relationship with actor Paul Mescal has reshaped her creative process.
The Grammy-nominated singer, 26, first raised eyebrows in June when she told Vogue she worried that feeling "secure and stable" in love might threaten her drive to write music.
In a new Rolling Stone interview, Abrams clarified those remarks, saying she was surprised by the reaction. "I'm like, 'Are we on crack? Like, what the f---?' That was my cue to be like, 'Oh, remember why you don't look [at social media]?'"
Far from hindering her, Abrams says the relationship has had "the most amazing effect" on her writing. "It has held a mirror to me in ways that I didn't know a relationship with another person of any kind could," she explained.
"It has given me all the perspective that I could have ever hoped for, on previous relationships, on my relationship with my family, on my friendships. It is the greatest gift, period."
Abrams and Mescal, 30, were first linked in 2024 and later appeared together publicly at the Gladiator II premiere that November. The couple now share a home in London while Mescal films The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event, in which he plays Paul McCartney.
Their creative partnership has also spilled into Abrams' music. Mescal earned a credit on "Imaginary Friend," a track from her latest album Daughter From Hell. Abrams described the collaboration as natural: "We're a very musical household, and so there's always something brewing. I feel lucky to be generally inspired by him as a person and by his brain."
She's equally impressed by Mescal's dedication to his craft. Preparing to portray McCartney, he taught himself to play bass left-handed. "He's like an alien. I mean, he's better at guitar backwards than I have been at guitar my whole life," Abrams said.
Though the pair have kept much of their relationship private, Abrams admits she doesn't like "the feeling of hiding." Still, she values balance: "That is a part of my life that brings me so much peace and joy. I'm not going to pretend like that's not true, but I also think it's not like an open-door policy."
