Kacey Musgraves Reflects on Her Divorce in Album star-crossed
Kacey Musgraves has spent her entire career in music breaking boundaries and rules, both politically and musically. Getting her start in country music, a genre that has historically been conservative and narrow-minded, Musgraves has subverted the expectations of fans since her first record. With the release of star-crossed, Musgraves continues to bring light to sociopolitical and personal subjects that few have dared to discuss.
star-crossed was highly anticipated considering what she’s gone through in the public eye over the course of the past year. Her personal life has been particularly tumultuous, which always makes for good art. Following her divorce with her ex-husband Ruston Kelly, who inspired her lovely and happy album Golden Hour, Musgraves took to the studio to process her emotions and feelings about the situation the best way she knows how—through her music.
Going into this release, I was expecting to be sucker-punched with sad emotions while listening to this record. One of Musgraves’ strengths has always been her witty and introspective lyrics. Overall, I genuinely enjoyed most of this album, but did not find it to capture those highs and lows as dramatically as I was expecting it to.
However, the album is certainly full of emotions, nostalgia, confidence, insecurity and regret, resulting in a beautiful record that captures the ups and downs of a complex divorce. One highlight of the album is “simple times,” a track that reflects on how much simpler life was at a young age, especially in regards to relationships. After growing up and experiencing all the complexities of adulthood, Kacey yearns for the simplicity of high school love and life. The song opens with a verse about how every day felt like Friday at that age and discusses nostalgia through images such as visiting 7/11 with your friends. As a senior in college, this track was particularly resonant for me.
Some of the more emotionally resonant tracks capture the sad parts of a breakup. In “camera roll,” Musgraves reflects on the experience of going through your camera roll after ending a relationship, and not wanting to look at all the pictures of the two of you together, but not being ready to delete them yet either. Another highlight is “justified,” in which Musgraves articulates that healing is not linear, and talks about just how emotionally confusing processing something like a divorce can be.
Overall, I think the album is substantial and tells a cohesive and compelling story of what it’s like to go through a modern-day divorce in the public eye. The production on this album, too, marks a shift for Musgraves, one that feels refreshing and new. She takes risks and doesn’t necessarily subscribe to what is expected of her. Musgraves marches to the beat of her own trauma, using music as a vehicle to move forward with her life, and hopefully help other people feel less alone in the process.