‘It Was Quite Brutal’ — Gracie Abrams’ Wild ‘Look at My Life’ Video Shoot Story

Gracie Abrams has built an entire career on intimate, carefully crafted vulnerability, but when it comes to the behind-the-scenes reality of making her visuals, things can spiral far beyond standard pop-star polish.

Rather than a glossy, high-budget affair running smoothly on schedule, the singer-songwriter recently opened up about the completely unhinged shoot of her ‘Look at My Life‘ music video that pushed her to the brink.

Gracie Abrams’ ‘Look at My Life’ Shoot Was A Complete Mess

Speaking during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Abrams said the video was filmed in Connecticut and New Jersey, with most of the day in Connecticut spent dealing with the massive flames.

“The whole day was basically me literally extinguishing dumpster fires,” Abrams said. “But it was, like, huge — it was these huge flames, and it was really hot, and I had to pee so bad.”

The day took a physical toll on her as well. Abrams said that by the end of the shoot she had suffered some burns and was completely exhausted.

“Anyway, the story is that I had to pee so bad, and it was the end of the day, and I kind of had, like, some burns, and it was just quite brutal. And I was so tired.”

She eventually ran into the nearest smoke shop to find a bathroom, only to be confronted with an even stranger moment.

“Ran, ran, ran into the nearest smoke shop to use their bathroom, and my song ‘That’s So True’ was playing.”

Hearing her own song while exhausted and dealing with the aftermath of the shoot made the situation feel surreal enough that Abrams joked she needed medical attention.

“I was like, ‘I have to check myself in to a hospital.’ Like, this is not—like—”

The story is especially funny considering Abrams had previously admitted that she had a difficult relationship with “Look at My Life” itself. She told Jake Shane on Therapuss that she initially struggled to listen to the song because she wrote it while she was feeling bad.

“I really didn’t like that song until recently,” Abrams said. “I wrote it when I was not feeling good.”

Her collaborator Aaron Dessner later encouraged her to revisit it, but she needed months before she could hear it comfortably again.

“It took like six months until I could hear it again and not want to rip my eyeballs out.”

Despite how difficult the song was for her at first, Abrams eventually found some distance from the emotions that shaped it. The chaotic experience of filming its video now gives “Look at My Life” an equally memorable story behind it.