Is Kacey Musgraves Country Music? The Genre-Bending Star Gives Her Undeniable Answer

Updated:

March 2, 2024 4:17 pm

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With Kacey Musgraves putting out a new album, Deeper Well, and appearing on Saturday Night Live tonight, there’s a question on a lot of people’s minds—is Kacey Musgraves country? There’s a lot to be said for her past work, albums like Same Trailer, Different Park, Pageant Material, and definitely on her early 2002 and 2003 albums, where she yodeled out songs like “Cowboys Are a Girl’s Best Friend.”

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However, Musgraves took a bit of a genre shift on albums like Golden Hour and star-crossed. These were more heavily pop influenced, with vestiges of her previous country sound—such as on the club bop “High Horse”—but not many solid country influences. Now, on Deeper Well, she returning to her folksy roots, which is conjuring up the questions about her style.

“Undeniably, I’m a country singer,” Musgraves has said, as quoted on her GRAMMYs artist profile. “I’m a country songwriter. But I feel like I make country music for people who like country music and for people who don’t.”

Born in Golden, Texas, Kacey Musgraves is a country girl at heart, and her music has always reflected that no matter what genre she was experimenting with. Though, does one really have to stay in a singular lane when it comes to genre? We’re seeing it with Beyoncé, Post Malone, and potentially Ed Sheeran putting out country albums. Music, like people, is flexible, and artists can and should dabble in genres that they find interesting. Even if it goes against the grain of what they started with.

Kacey Musgraves is Grown Up, Centered, and Spiritual Now

In a recent interview with The Cut, Kacey Musgraves spoke about her decision to cut out weed after it started to define her identity, her cottage in the woods, and how she’s working to find her center.

“I definitely feel way more grounded now than in the past,” Musgraves explained. “I feel like my feet are firmly planted on the ground, and no matter what comes my way and tries to rock me, I feel more planted, if that makes sense.”

Additionally, as far as Musgraves is concerned, “Country feels like home to me.” She continued, “It may come and go trend-wise in other genres, but there’s always something really timeless to me about it, whether it’s popular in pop music or not.”

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