Risk (song)

"Risk" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Gracie Abrams for her second studio album, The Secret of Us (2024). It was released on May 1, 2024, through Interscope Records, as the lead single from the album. Abrams wrote the song with Audrey Hobert and produced it with her frequent collaborator Aaron Dessner. An accompanying music video directed by Hobert was released alongside it. To support its release, Abrams performed "Risk" on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on May 8, 2024.

Background and release
Gracie Abrams announced her second studio album, The Secret of Us, on April 29, 2024, subsequently revealing its cover artwork and release date, June 21, 2024. She wrote in the same statement that she would be releasing "Risk" on May 1 as the lead single from the album. Abrams said "Risk" was co-written with her friend Audrey Hobert and co-produced by her frequent collaborator Aaron Dessner, who produced her previous debut studio album, Good Riddance (2023).

Abrams teased the music video for "Risk" on April 30, and praised Hobert's direction by saying: "Working together on set and at home on our couch is the most fun I have ever had in my life, she is brilliant in all the ways". Interscope Records released the song for digital download and streaming on the following day, along with its official video. A 7-inch vinyl format of the single, which included the original song "Close to You" as its B-side, was released on May 31, through the same record label. Following the release of the vinyl, “Risk” reached #1 on the UK’s Physical Singles Chart.

Writing and composition
In an interview with American music magazine Spin, Abrams said that she "would spill every detail of our lives in the time that [they] had", referring to the writing process that led her and her friend Audrey Hobert to compose the song. She followed by adding: "There was a real urgency to our storytelling, and it very naturally led to us songwriting together. We were like, 'We know how this night went down, but how do we amplify it or make it so dramatic that people want to scream it when we’re all at a show together?'". The lyrics of the track are about a distant type of love, "falling for someone you don't know at all", according to what the singer explained to Apple Music's Zane Lowe.

Critical reception
Writing for Stereogum, Chris DeVille stated that "Risk" sounds "like a hit" and feels strong, and stated that it "continues Abrams' knack for memorable turns of phrase set to melodies that stick with you". Lucy Phillips of Dork praised the song for showcasing Abrams' "growth as an artist".

Live performance
Abrams performed "Risk" on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on May 8, 2024, joined by her band.