Gracie Abrams Says ‘Hit the Wall’ Became the ‘North Star’ for Her ‘Daughter From Hell’ Album & Yet ‘I Don’t Remember Writing It’
"I just remember it being done," the singer/songwriter recalls of the lead single.
During a recent interview on Jake Shane’s Therapuss podcast, Gracie Abrams discussed the significance of her song "Hit the Wall" for her third studio album, Daughter From Hell. The track became the "north star" for the project, guiding the direction of the album and ultimately propelling it to the top of the Billboard 200 chart.
Abrams and her longtime collaborator, Aaron Dessner, had about six songs they liked but struggled to find cohesion in their work. Feeling discouraged and uncertain about the album's direction, Abrams was in a particularly low mood when she arrived at the studio. She began to walk down Bleecker Street while crying, and as she stepped into the recording space, the piano chords of "Hit the Wall" playing immediately resonated with her.
She described the songwriting process as an almost "trance-like" experience, one she barely remembers. The song felt so powerful that Abrams knew it should introduce the album, as its emotional journey mirrored her own creative struggles. The metaphor of hitting a wall, watching everything break apart, and then trying to rebuild became the central theme for the entire album, turning "Hit the Wall" into the starting point for Daughter From Hell.
Written by urgent.news from Billboard's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
