Finding Safe Spaces with Gracie Abrams Fans

We had the pleasure of learning more about Mariana,* one of the two fans behind the @GracieAbramsNation fan account on Instagram.

"For fans of Gracie Abrams, by fans of Gracie Abrams" reads the account bio. With nearly 4,000 posts accumulated to date, @GracieAbramsNation certainly delivers on this descriptor.

The heavy volume of content across the account is incredibly punctual, well documented and consistent, with posts including updates on set lists, screen recordings of Tiktoks, reposts of tour footage, photos of fans meeting Gracie, and more. @GracieAbramsNation captures the energy and efforts found in traditional artist street teams and mobilizes that passion into a full-blown digital marketing channel and archive.

"Gracie and her team have been an essential part of this account," says Mariana. "Both me and Lia (the other person behind the account) have always felt extremely appreciated by them, and we couldn’t be more grateful to have been able to play a part in creating this community, as well as having been able to create such a connection with an artist and person that we love so much."

Chatting with us from Lisbon, Portugal, Mariana shared why she started the account, the specialness of Gracie Abrams fans, and more...

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SOFTSIDE: How long have you had the @GracieAbramsNation account and why did you start it?

MARIANA: My friend Lia and I have been fans of Gracie for about 3 years! During Gracie’s bedroom shows (which was basically an online tour she did when she couldn’t go on tour because of the pandemic), this account was created for a group chat that Gracie was in. Only in 2021 did we turn it into an update account! We absolutely adore Gracie and wanted to create a safe space for her fans and even herself – the goal was to bring her community together and, simultaneously, try to help her succeed by throwing streaming parties, giveaways, etc!

SOFTSIDE: What is special about Gracie Abrams fans?

MARIANA: Gracie’s fans are amazing. It’s not one of the biggest fandoms out there, and I think that makes a huge difference in how people act. There are no negative feelings (which is something that you can definitely feel in bigger fandoms), everyone is super welcoming and nice to each other and you can just feel the good energy between everyone, especially during Gracie’s shows!

I think that, in addition to being a smaller fandom, the reason why her fans are so special is because they’re, in a way, a reflection of Gracie – even though everyone is their own person, having someone like her as a role model has truly shaped some of her fans’ behaviors (which is completely normal when you’re inspired by someone). Gracie is such an amazing human being that it would be hard for her fans to not be just as great!

SOFTSIDE: How long have you been listening to her music? Has being a fan evolved for you over the years?

MARIANA: I’ve been listening to Gracie for about 3 years now. At first, I just listened to her music in a more casual way (let’s call it that) and I wasn’t very involved in her fandom, especially because it was still a very small community of fans. As time went by, I made the decision of making an account for her and it was honestly one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I’ve met some incredible people that I can 100% say are some of my best friends today, and I’ve gotten to know Gracie a little bit more than I would’ve if I hadn’t gotten so involved with her music and fandom.

For me, being a fan has evolved in a way that, at one point, I would just see and talk to Gracie through a screen and over the past couple of years that has changed, which made me feel much more closer to both her and the rest of the fandom. There’s nothing better than being in a room with people who share the same interests and passion for an artist, and having been in that room multiple times over the past years have made being a fan a lot more than just enjoying Gracie’s music.

SOFTSIDE: Which song by Gracie means the most to you?

MARIANA: Before her new album Good Riddance was released, my absolute favorite song was "Better" – it’s just one of those songs that makes me want to scream and dance and cry all at once and even though the lyrics are quite sad it always makes me feel super hyped because the production is just incredible.

Now that the new album is out, I must say it’s a tie between "Better" and "The blue!" If you’ve listened to the new record, you know that it represents a time in Gracie’s life that wasn’t the best. However, when you get to "The blue" it just gives you a feeling of warmth and hope that things do get better after all. Knowing what this song represents, and that it likely means that she’s feeling happy and in a good place right now, is more than enough to make it one of my favorite songs she’s ever put out.