Thanks to Kacey Musgraves, It’s Golden Hour for Female Country Singers
At the 2019 Grammys, Kacey Musgraves won big, taking home Album of the Year. Sam Baldwin writes on how the female superstar is rewriting the narrative around the country genre
Country music is fun, it’s catchy, and it’s perfect for sunny summertime drives with the windows down. But it’s rarely regarded as lyrically or stylistically groundbreaking, and rightfully so. Lyrics about girls, trucks, and beer are not exactly profound, and neither are the repetitive chord patterns and verses.
When the Grammy awards roll around, it is rare to see a country album garnering as much hype as a rap, rock, or even pop album. That’s why Kacey Musgraves’ wins for Golden Hour came as a shock to many, and a breath of fresh air to country fans. Musgraves took home four Grammy awards, dominating not only in the country music genre, but also beating out hip hop superstars like Drake and Cardi B for the industry’s highest honor, Album of the Year.
What makes Golden Hour’s win so special, however, is that it is not a typical country album. Even as an avid country music fan, one can find it tiring to see songs like Florida Georgia line’s “Cruise” or Luke Bryan’s “Drunk on You” top the billboard charts week after week. Golden Hour is different. Of the 13 tracks, there are no traditional mentions of beer, beaches, or whiskey shots. Even the breakup songs have a more profound air. They’re less self-pity and more self-respect. It’s a fresh take on a genre commonly known for misogyny and conservatism.
“Space Cowboy,” one of the first two singles released for Golden Hour in February of 2018, tells the story of a dying relationship. Yet instead of taking cues from Cole Swindell or Tim McGraw and begging her lover to stay, she sings: “sunsets fade and love does too… so you can have your space, cowboy.”
“Space Cowboy” was far from the first time that Musgraves defied the norms of country music. Since the 2013 debut of her first album Same Trailer Different Park, she has been known for her offbeat and progressive lyrics. Her song “Follow Your Arrow” spreads a message of freedom and urges listeners to break away from southern small-town expectations. The lyrics address issues ranging from recreational marijuana use, LGBT acceptance, religious expectations, and safe sex. Meanwhile, another one of her early hits, “Merry Go ‘Round,” takes an honest approach to the suffocating nature of small-town life, tackling issues such as drug addiction, affairs, and insecurity.
Despite Musgraves’ 2013 Grammy win for Best Country Album, Same Trailer Different Park still faced a lot of criticism for its out-of-the-box lyrics. Many critics called Musgraves a rebel, implying that her calls for acceptance and equality came from a desire for shock value alone. This is ironic, considering that the whole message of “Follow Your Arrow” was to take risks because you will never please everybody. Musgraves explained, “I don’t push buttons to push buttons. I talk about things that have made an impression on me that a lot of people everywhere are going through.” Her goal as a songwriter is to appeal to the human experience — and not only the perfect moments. She succeeds album after album, and with Golden Hour in particular.
Musgraves is honest, fresh, and she brings a new perspective to country music. Her songs are often full of clever puns and wordplay, but they do not detract from the messages within her lyrics. Female country is often angry and combative. Think Miranda Lambert “Momma’s Broken Heart,” or Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats.” Golden Hour defies the stereotypical model of a scorned female seeking revenge. Her emotions are far more complex.The piano ballad “Rainbow” serves as a message of hope and a reminder that, despite dark times, there’s always light. When she accepted her award for Album of the Year, Musgraves said, “Life is pretty tumultuous right now for all of us. I feel like, because of that, art is really thriving and it’s been really beautiful to see that. I would have nothing without songs. To me, it’s just all about the songs.”
“Rainbow” proves this sentiment, using art as a form of healing and reminding listeners that, although the storm keeps blowing, “there’s always been a rainbow hanging over your head.” “Happy and Sad” describes the bittersweet sweep of emotion that hits when you realize a perfect moment has to end. Musgraves takes universal feelings and experiences that have no name, and she puts them into her music.Then there’s “Mother,” a sentimental, one-minute-and-18-second ode to her mom, written during an LSD trip.
The last of those three tracks is sure to make any daughter living far from home dial her mother’s number instantly. But even more shocking is the idea of a female country artist referencing psychedelic drugs in her lyrics, breaking new ground for a genre that traditionally was represented by conservative white men.
Yet Musgraves is open about her drug use. She feels that the heightened emotions and experiences make her a better musician and songwriter. She consistently asserts herself as a versatile artist, but above all, she’s human, and always open and honest about her artistic and personal beliefs and choices.
The relatable aspects of Musgraves’ lyrics, and her place as a strong-willed and free-spirited woman put her in a box outside of the traditional country realm. While she still maintains her Texas twang and references to cowboys and southern charm, Kasey Musgraves fills a category of her own and reminds fans that country music is not all about beer, babes, and four wheel drive. That said, Golden Hour is still an ideal soundtrack for a summertime, windows-down drive, the double duty charm of a reigning country music queen.
Sam Baldwin is both an avid fan of various music genres and the ultra-Bostonian adjective “wicked smaht.” You can follow her on Twitter here.
