Abra (singer)

Gabrielle Olivia Mirville,[1][2] (born 1990) known professionally as Abra, is an American singer, songwriter, actress and record producer signed to Awful Records.[2]

Abra
Abra in MTV interview in 2018.
Background information
Birth nameGabrielle Olivia Mirville
BornNew York City, U.S.
OriginAtlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer-songwriter
  • record producer
  • actress
Years active2015–present
LabelsAwful

Early life and career

Born in Queens, New York into a family of missionaries, Abra spent her first eight years in London, where her parents built the church they would ultimately work in. Her introduction to singing came from that church, too, where her father was pastor and her mother oversaw praise and worship. After London, her family settled in the quiet suburb of Lilburn outside Atlanta.[3][4][4] At 14, Abra began playing guitar. She attended Parkview Highschool and was an active member of the drama department, graduating in 2007. Later in her teens, she began uploading her acoustic covers of rap songs onto YouTube. This led to her being discovered by Awful Records founder and rapper Father, who encouraged her to make original music.[5] She later joined the label in 2014.[6]

Her first EP, BLQ Velvet, was released in 2015. Her second EP, Princess was released by True Panther Sounds on July 15, 2016.[7] It is her first release on a major label.[5] The song "Fruit" off the album Rose was featured in an article on the best R&B songs of 2016 by The Guardian.[8]

Regarding Abra's style of clothing, Vogue commented in 2016 that "deliberate contrasts are part of her artistic identity on the whole: Abra is a member of the mostly male-dominated Awful Records coterie, an outlier crew swiftly taking over Atlanta with a sound that stands apart from ATL's rap oeuvre".[3]

Abra is one of the stars of the 2018 film Assassination Nation and plays Em.[9]

Discography

Studio albums

Year Title Track Listing Details
2015 Rose 1. "Feel"
  • Release: June 16, 2015 (digital download & streaming) – October 6, 2017 (vinyl)
  • Format: Digital download, streaming, vinyl
  • Label: Awful, Ninja Tune
  • Total Length: 54:34
2. "Roses"
3. "U Kno"
4. "Fruit"
5. "Pride"
6. "Lights Intelude (feat. Archibald SLIM)"
7. "Atoms"
8. "No Chill"
9. "$hot (feat. Stalin Majesty)"
10. "Tonight!"
11. "Human"
12. "Game"

Extended plays

Year Title Track Listing Details
2015 BLQ Velvet 1. "U Go I Go"
  • Release: January 19, 2015
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
  • Label: Awful, ACID PALACE RECORDINGS
  • Total Length: 27:33
2. "Make It"
3. "Unwise"
4. "I Guess"
5. "Fade 2 Blaq"
6. "Love & Power"
Year Title Track Listing Details
2016 PRINCESS 1. "COME 4 ME"
  • Release: July 15, 2016
  • Format: Digital download, streaming
  • Label: True Panther Sounds, Awful
  • Total Length: 22:12
2. "VEGAS"
3. "CRYBABY"
4. "BIG BOI (feat. Tommy Genesis)"
5. "PULL UP"
6. "THINKING OF YOU"

Singles

  • ABRA – Diamonds & Gold (2012)
  • ABRA – Don't Kill Men (2012)
  • ABRA – Oh Come, Oh Come, Emmanuel (2014)
  • ABRA – Sin City (2014)
  • ABRA – NEEDSUMBODY (2014)
  • ABRA – CENTERSTAGE 1.17 (2015)
  • ABRA – Then U Get Some (2015)
  • ABRA – BFF (2015)
  • ABRA feat. Father – U Ain't Got To Lie (2015)
  • ABRA – Bounty (2016)
  • ABRA – NOVACANE (2017) [for Adult Swim Singles]
  • ABRA – BACARDI (2017)
  • ABRA – B.R.A.T (2018)[10]

Guest appearances

  • HYDRABADD feat. ABRA – Sanctuary (2013)
  • DARKCERBERUSSOUND feat. ABRA – Kookaburra (2013)
  • Archibald SLIM feat. ABRA – Luv (2015)
  • Micah Freeman feat. ABRA – Movement (2015)
  • salute feat. ABRA – Colourblind (2015)
  • Ethereal feat. ABRA & Father – STYX (2015)
  • KCSB feat. ABRA – All My Luv (2015)
  • Tommy Genesis feat. ABRA – Hair Like Water Wavy Like The Sea (2015)
  • Hiko Momoji feat. Father & ABRA – Late Nights (2016)
  • Ethereal feat. ABRA & Coodie Breeze – Treat You Right (2016)
  • Ethereal feat. ABRA – Look At U (2016)
  • Chris Brann feat. ABRA – Once Before (2016)
  • Father feat. iLoveMakonnen & ABRA – Why Don't You (2016)
  • Rich Po Slim feat. ABRA – Make You Mine (2016)
  • Stickz Greenz feat. ABRA – Just Chill (2017)
  • LiL iFFy feat. ABRA – Dark Times Indeed (2017)
  • Charli XCX feat. ABRA – Drugs (2017)
  • Da$H feat. ABRA – Deja U (2017)
  • josh pan feat. ABRA – give it to ya (2017)
  • Father feat. ABRA – Lotto (2018)
  • Gorillaz – Sorcererz (2018)
  • Toro y Moi feat. ABRA – Miss Me (2019)
  • Solange – Sound of Rain (2019)
  • Octavian feat. ABRA – My Head (2019)

Remixes

  • Empress Of – Standard (ABRA Remix) (2015)
  • Father – Everybody In The Club (ABRA Remix) (2015)

References

  1. Davies, Hannah J. (November 27, 2018). "Assassination Nation's Abra: 'Social media can kill you'". The Guardian. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
  2. "Abra – Biography & History – AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved August 30, 2016.
  3. Carlos, Marjon (July 12, 2016). "Meet Abra, the Next Princess of Alt R&B Style". Vogue.
  4. Weiss, Hayley. "DISCOVERY: ABRA". Interview. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
  5. Lozano, Kevin. "Abra: Princess". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
  6. Reed, Davy. "Awful Records: DIY rap vampires". Crack. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
  7. Dandridge-Lemco, Ben (July 15, 2016). "ABRA Shares Princess EP". Retrieved August 28, 2016.
  8. Macpherson, Alex (August 22, 2016). "The best R&B of 2016 has nothing to do with Frank Ocean". The Guardian. Retrieved September 1, 2016.
  9. Nicholson, Amy (January 22, 2018). "Sundance Film Review: 'Assassination Nation'". Variety. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
  10. ABRA Is At Her Dark, Dreamy Best on New Track "B.R.A.T.". Jan 17 2018. Noisey.
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