Gracie Abrams found an unexpected source of inspiration in a song from the deluxe version of her album “The Secret of Us,” a viral meme coined by LeBron James.
In “That’s So True,” released in October, Abrams sang, “Smiling through it all, yeah, that’s my life.”
The lyrics refer to a nostalgic post by the Los Angeles Lakers star on his Instagram Story in 2018 with the caption: “Smiling through everything! I can’t believe this is my life,” as James smiled while in a pool . She posted the selfie after Fox News host Laura Ingraham told her to “shut up and haggle.”
James’ post has since become a popular meme on social media. And now, it appears to have remained on Abrams’ mind while recording “That’s So True,” which peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The pop star hinted at her inspiration months before its official release.
According to a video published by Entertainment Weekly In June, Abrams said that she and her best friend and co-writer of the song, Audrey Hobert, sent the meme back and forth when they were sad. Hobert even gave Abrams a blanket with the featured photo on it.
Abrams also joked in the June video about including James as a co-writer on the song.
She all but confirmed those links on Tuesday, posting a lighter on her Instagram Story with James’ selfie, according to Harrison Faigen of SB Nation.
“That’s So True” became Abrams’ first song in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 in November and spent six weeks on the charts. His song “us.”, with Taylor Swift, was nominated for a Grammy award for “Best Pop Duo or Group Performance.”