Taylor Swift and Gracie Abrams celebrate 'Us' Grammy nomination with hilarious story of 'feral screeching'

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Taylor Swift and Gracie Abrams recently had an unforgettable reaction when they learned that their song 'Us' had been nominated for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 2025 Grammy Awards.

During her Eras Tour concert in Toronto, Swift shared the hilarious and emotional story of how she and Abrams reacted to the nomination.

Taylor Swift shares hilarious story of her and Gracie Abrams reacting to Grammy nomination

"I think you’ll remember the genius brilliant young lady you saw earlier tonight, Gracie Abrams," Swift told the crowd. "So, storytime, Gracie was opening up for me a year ago on the 'Eras Tour'." She went on to explain how their bond and collaboration began during that tour, which led to the creation of 'Us'.

Swift then reminisced about the memorable night when the two artists celebrated Abrams' Grammy nomination for Best New Artist. "We had so many fun memories during that tour, one of which we were celebrating her getting nominated for Best New Artist at the Grammys," Swift said. "We had, like, eleventy-hundred Cosmos, went back to my house and just started writing a song."

'Us', which appears on Abrams's album 'The Secret of Us', was born out of that creative night.

But when the two received the news that the song had been nominated for a Grammy, their reaction was pure excitement. "You can’t even imagine, like, the phone call between the two of us when the nominations came out and we saw that song was nominated," Swift recalled. "It was just screeching. It wasn’t even words, it was just feral screeching for the entire call."

Their shared excitement didn’t stop at the phone call. As a thank-you to their fans for making 'Us' a hit, the duo performed a special mash-up of 'Us' and Swift’s 2014 hit 'Out of the Woods'. This heartfelt tribute to their fans was a special moment for both artists, who clearly cherish their connection and creative partnership.

The journey to creating 'Us' was far from conventional

The journey to creating 'Us' was far from conventional. Abrams shared a behind-the-scenes story of how, during their late-night songwriting session, a candle in Swift's kitchen tipped over and started a small fire.

The two singers found themselves putting out the flames with a fire extinguisher. "She was such a legend — I don't know how at this hour or in our state she knew what to do," Abrams recalled in an interview with Billboard.

"We both had an insane cough from the fire extinguisher fumes for weeks."

Despite the fire, the two continued to work on their music. Abrams recalled how the evening unfolded. "We listened to songs from Taylor's 'Tortured Poets Department: Anthology', and we were dancing and singing like theater kids to the tune of 'But Daddy I Love Him,'" she said. "Then we listened to my song 'The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived' while lying on the floor in disbelief."

As the night wore on, the creative energy was palpable. Abrams added, "Something caught our ear at the same time very hard and fast. So we ran to the piano and started writing this song."

The pair’s chemistry was undeniable. Aaron Dessner, who helped produce the track, also praised their collaboration. "It was just really fun to watch the chemistry of Gracie and Taylor bouncing off each other," Dessner said. "Gracie in total wonder and awe watching how Taylor records and produces her vocal performances and builds the world."

While 'Us' marked a beautiful milestone for both Swift and Abrams, the Grammy nominations were just one of many accomplishments for Swift in 2025.

In addition to 'Us', Swift's album 'The Tortured Poets Department' (TTPD) earned multiple nominations, including Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album. Her song 'Fortnight', a collaboration with Post Malone, was nominated for Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best Music Video.

Taylor Swift makes history with seven Grammy nominations for Album of the Year

Taylor Swift also made history with her Grammy nominations, becoming the first female artist to be nominated for Album of the Year seven times. She previously won this prestigious award four times: in 2010 for 'Fearless', in 2016 for '1989', in 2021 for 'Folklore', and in 2024 for 'Midnights'.

With so many nominations, there’s already speculation that Swift may be gearing up for something big if she wins Album of the Year again in 2025.

As the Grammys approach, Swift is nearing the end of her Eras Tour, with her final show set for December 8 at BC Place in Vancouver. After nearly two years on the road, this final performance will mark the conclusion of one of the most successful tours of her career.

In addition to her musical achievements, Swift's personal life continues to make headlines. She has been dating NFL star Travis Kelce since 2023, and her support for him at Kansas City Chiefs games has further fueled their public relationship.

For now, though, Swift and Abrams are focused on celebrating their Grammy nomination for 'Us', a moment they will undoubtedly remember forever.