Good Riddance (album)

On January 9, 2023, Abrams announced her debut album, Good Riddance, to be released on February 24, 2023.[4][5] The first single, "Difficult" was released a few months prior, on October 7, 2022. The second single, titled "Where Do We Go Now?", was released on January 13.[6] The third single, titled "Amelie", was released on February 10. "I Know It Won't Work", the 4th and final single was released along with the album on February 24.

Of the album development and creative process, Gracie Abrams expressed her gratitude for prominent producer of the album, Aaron Dessner and described the creative process of the album on Instagram by posting: "It’s difficult to imagine these songs living anywhere other than my most secret places, but [producer Aaron Dessner] reminded me that holding space for brutal honesty in songwriting is kind of the whole point. I feel an unbelievable amount of gratitude for the opportunity to have made this album. Writing this record allowed me to grow up in ways I needed to. It forced me to reflect and be accountable. It allowed me to walk away from versions of myself that I no longer recognized. It allowed me to let go. There will never be enough words to describe the gift that is Aaron’s friendship. He is one of the very few people in this world capable of making others feel safe to their core when they are exploring the parts of themselves that are most raw. He is rare and generous."

On April 24, 2023, Abrams announced the deluxe version of Good Riddance which was released on June 16, 2023. It features 4 bonus tracks, including "Block Me Out" which was released on April 8, 2022.[7]

Following the release of the album, Abrams embarked on the Good Riddance Tour, her third headlining concert tour. It covers North America, Europe, and Australia for 40 dates. It started on March 6, 2023, in Chicago, and will conclude on January 21, 2024, in Melbourne.[4][8] She also featured as one of the openers Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour during the 2023 U.S. leg where she performed songs from Good Riddance.

All songs are written by Gracie Abrams and Aaron Dessner, and produced by Dessner, except where noted. All songs stylized in sentence case.

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes and Tidal.[9]

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	7.3/10[10]
Metacritic	73/100[11]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[12]
Album of the Year	76/100[2]
NME	[3]
Pitchfork	6.2/10[1]
Dork	5/5[13]
DIY	[14]
Clash	8/10[15]
i	[16]
The Line of Best Fit	7/10[17]
The Harvard Crimson	[18]
The Dartmouth	[19]
The Post	2.5/5[20]
Daily Bruin	[21]
The Eastern Echo	9/10[22]
PromediaBank	[23]
The Rice Thresher	[24]
The Catalyst	9/10[25]
The Connector	A[26]
Blur Magazine	[27]
The Forty-Five	[28]
Upcoming100	[29]

Upon its release, Good Riddance received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received a weighted average score of 73 based on 6 reviews.[11] Martyn Young of Dork called it "An intimate and evocative songwriting masterclass." Furthermore, he praised the album, calling it "a debut that perfectly illustrates the transcendent quality of a very special composition."[13]. Jane Bua of Pitchfork stands out and emphasizes Abrams writing calling her "honest and personal, offering moments of clear, quiet charm." but details that the "Writing with emotional transparency is only one part of the equation, especially given the ubiquity of “sad girl” songs these days."[1]. The magazine DIY wrote a review and defined the album as "A heartbreaking but joyful journey into the depth of each of your feelings.".In addition, he highlighted the songs: "I Should Hate You", "Full Machine", "This Is What The Drugs Are For" and "Right Now" for their lyrics, production and sounds.[14]

Some critics highlighted the excellent work she did with Aaron Dessner, noting his evident distinctive touch on the tracks.[3]

In mixed reviews, Amaya Lin of The Line of Best Fit comment "Disappointingly, the greatness verges but never crests. Abrams’ writing is both hyperspecific and extremely vague, referring to situations and characters that lack essential context." and indicates the grandiose function of Dessner, managing to bring "to light an especially delicate side of Abrams' confessional composition".[17] The newspaper i wrote "As intimate and beautifully drawn as the songs almost universally are, it's so relentlessly downbeat that it becomes difficult to tune into for a whole album." and ended the review by labeling it as "This is an album to wallow in and not move on from."[16]