Gracie Abrams releases the lead single “Hit the Wall,” co-produced by Aaron Dessner, ahead of her July 17 album Daughter From Hell.
A new kind of momentum is coming from Gracie Abrams: the singer has released the video for her latest song, “Hit the Wall,” marking the lead single from her forthcoming album, Daughter From Hell.
The track arrives as part of an album release scheduled for July 17. “Hit the Wall” is positioned as the first taste of what comes next, and the accompanying clip—directed by Renell Medrano—frames the song with a visual identity meant to match its emotional weight.
Production credits tie the single to a creative circle that has been shaping Abrams’ sound for a while.. The song is co-produced with Aaron Dessner. and it also credits Bryce Dessner. Justin Vernon. and Ben Lanz. underscoring a collaborative approach that blurs the line between pop songwriting and the meticulous craft more often associated with indie and experimental production.
Dessner previously worked with Abrams on her last album, The Secret of Us, released in 2024. In a post about the new project, he described the unfolding partnership behind Daughter From Hell and framed “Hit the Wall” as a milestone in a process that has lasted for years, not weeks.
In his message. Dessner said he is “beyond excited” to share the album with listeners and noted that “Hit the Wall” is the first single. arriving for release on Thursday night.. He also emphasized the time span of their collaboration. saying it has been six years since he and Abrams began making songs together.
He linked the album’s momentum to a specific studio period. explaining that the two began working on Daughter From Hell about two years ago and that they started the same day they recorded That’s So True and I Told You Things at Electric Lady Studios in New York.. He added that multiple songs for the album were created during that stretch.
The work. according to Dessner. has involved a real search for new material—“searched and searched”—with writing and development taking place across Long Pond. London. and a return to Electric Lady.. That geographic spread reads like more than itinerary; it suggests a deliberate attempt to stay flexible. letting the music change as the environment changes.
Musically, Dessner said the result is an expansion of Abrams’ “musical vocabulary,” along with pushing into “uncharted waters” sonically. He also pointed to lyrical growth, describing a process of sharpening and deepening Abrams’ lyricism and expression in ways he said continue to surprise him.
For listeners, the most immediate signal is that the album is being treated as an evolution rather than a repeat of what came before. Dessner described the record as elevated “in every way,” and he said he believes it contains the most moving and powerful work they have made together.
The final part of his message also hints at the broader ecosystem behind the album. noting that more details will be shared about the “dear friends” who helped bring the project to life.. For cultural watchers. that detail matters: albums like this often reflect not only individual stars but networks of collaborators who shape the artistic direction in subtle. cumulative ways.
The release of “Hit the Wall,” then, is more than a single drop. It’s a public marker of a long-form creative journey—studio time, distance, and repeated attempts at getting the songs right—now condensed into a track and visual clip that arrive ahead of Daughter From Hell on July 17.
Gracie Abrams Hit the Wall Daughter From Hell Aaron Dessner music video Renell Medrano indie pop