Taylor Swift’s favorite daughter writing angsty pop music about a UK-adjacent movie star? A canon event. To literally no one’s surprise, there’s officially something romantic going on between Gracie Abrams and Paul Mescal: They were just spotted holding hands and kissing in the Mayfair neighborhood of London, and that’s not the first time these two have given off couple or fling energy. They were seen shopping on Bond Street together back in July, plus there was the cozy dinner date in June. According to a People source, “They’ve been hooking up and it’s still early stages.” Happy for them.
Like her 5’10” blonde mother, Gracie is always gonna document her romantic feelings in her discography. Although a lot of people might just be learning about her and Paul now, there’s a theory that she already released a song about her beau on her latest album. Ever heard the Gracie track, “Normal Thing”?
Here’s why fans think Gracie Abrams’ song, “Normal Thing,” is about Paul Mescal.
Is Gracie Abrams’ Song, “Normal Thing,” About Paul Mescal?
Why Fans Think Gracie Abrams Wrote “Normal Thing” About Paul Mescal
Sooo, let’s discuss the context here — Paul and Gracie didn’t just fall out of a coconut tree. They were first linked on June 30 when TMZ shared photos of them looking very couple-y at the London restaurant, BRAT. (Because these cool, indie kids were taking brat summer seriously, of course.) In one photo, you can see Paul reaching over to touch Gracie’s cheek. According to the outlet, the actor and singer shared a bunch of small plates during their cutesy dinner date. Now, is this pairing shocking in any way? *chuckles* The Paul and Gracie combo is kind of like peanut butter and jelly or Olivia Rodrigo and purple. They make so much sense that I’m surprised this romance didn’t happen before this summer.
On June 21, just nine days before Gracie’s alleged date with Paul, she released her sophomore album, The Secret Of Us. In track 10, “Normal Thing,” she details some kind of intense situationship with a movie star, as one does. “It’s a normal thing to fall in love with movie stars / When the lights are low and red at all their favorite bars,” Gracie croons in the first verse. (Naturally, there are countless TikTok edits of Paul and Gracie to this song.) Could she be singing about another movie star? The girlie’s last name is Abrams, so yes. Of course. But the timing of the TMZ photos is telling, and fans have also pointed out that “Normal Things” could subtly reference Paul’s iconic show, Normal People.
In the soft tune, she writes about falling for a celeb through her TV screen: “I was on my couch, you were on my screen, one of us was stoned / And the plotline was rare, swear I felt you right there / Maybe that was the beginning of our love affair.” Gracie’s really just like us, except not delusional. Like, she really did shoot her shot with that movie star.
And I’m pretty sure his name is Paul.