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Kacey Musgraves grew up in Golden, Texas, a small East Texas town where she began writing songs at the age of eight and playing mandolin and guitar soon after. Her early immersion in music wasn’t a hobby—it was a drive. By her teens, she had self-released several albums and performed at regional oprys and festivals. Her first real brush with national attention came in 2007 when she appeared on the fifth season of Nashville Star. Although she didn’t win the competition, it exposed her to a wider audience and brought her to the attention of key people in the music industry, ultimately leading to her development deal.
After relocating to Austin and later Nashville, Musgraves began honing her songwriting skills and co-wrote material for other artists before releasing her own breakout material. One of the pivotal moments in her early career came when she co-wrote “Mama’s Broken Heart,” which became a hit for Miranda Lambert in 2013. That same year, she signed with Mercury Nashville and released her major-label debut album, Same Trailer Different Park, a record that would immediately set her apart from the mainstream country landscape.
Same Trailer Different Park (2013) introduced the world to Musgraves’ unconventional lyrical voice—one unafraid to challenge conservative expectations of gender roles, behavior, and conformity. Tracks like “Follow Your Arrow” and “Merry Go ‘Round” tackled topics like small-town expectations, drug use, and sexual freedom with candor and sharp wit. The album was both a critical and commercial success, debuting at number one on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and later earning her the Grammy Award for Best Country Album in 2014. “Merry Go ‘Round” also won the Grammy for Best Country Song.
Her second studio album, Pageant Material, arrived in 2015. Though it didn’t aim to replicate the formula of her debut, it further cemented Musgraves’ status as a progressive force in Nashville. Songs like “Biscuits” echoed her irreverent, observational style, and the record overall carried a laid-back, vintage country aesthetic. While the album didn’t produce a major crossover single, it earned widespread acclaim and was nominated for Best Country Album at the 2016 Grammy Awards.
Musgraves shifted gears dramatically with her 2018 album Golden Hour, a genre-blending work that fused elements of country, pop, disco, and psychedelia. Produced by Daniel Tashian and Ian Fitchuk, the album featured prominent use of vocoders, dreamy synths, and introspective lyrics that explored personal joy, heartbreak, and renewal. It was hailed as a modern masterpiece, winning four Grammy Awards in 2019, including Album of the Year, Best Country Album, Best Country Solo Performance for “Butterflies,” and Best Country Song for “Space Cowboy.” The impact of Golden Hour went far beyond country music, resonating with fans and critics across genres and establishing Musgraves as one of the most innovative songwriters of her generation.
In 2021, she released Star-Crossed, a concept album chronicling the dissolution of her marriage to fellow musician Ruston Kelly. Inspired by both Latin pop and tragic opera, the album was released alongside a film of the same name. While Star-Crossed was met with mixed-to-positive reviews, it demonstrated Musgraves’ continued commitment to pushing artistic boundaries. Songs like “Justified” and “Breadwinner” offered deeply personal insights into emotional healing and personal empowerment. However, in a controversial move, the Recording Academy ruled the album ineligible for consideration in country categories at the Grammys, sparking widespread discussion about genre classification and industry gatekeeping.
Musgraves has released five studio albums to date: Same Trailer Different Park (2013), Pageant Material (2015), A Very Kacey Christmas (2016), Golden Hour (2018), and Star-Crossed (2021). In addition to her six Grammy wins, she has received seven Country Music Association Awards and three Academy of Country Music Awards. Notably, she won the CMA’s New Artist of the Year in 2013 and the coveted Album of the Year award in 2018 for Golden Hour.
Outside of music, Kacey Musgraves has become a cultural figure known for her advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights, body positivity, and artistic freedom. She has appeared on fashion runways and collaborated with major brands, including a popular candle and fragrance line with Boy Smells and a capsule collection with Moschino. Musgraves also voiced Earwig in the English dub of Studio Ghibli’s Earwig and the Witch and served as executive producer on her Star-Crossed film.
Her appeal stems not just from her genre-bending music but from the consistency of her voice—sharp, witty, and always honest. Whether she’s critiquing the hypocrisies of traditional values or celebrating the quiet beauty of everyday love, Musgraves commands attention with understated confidence. Her songwriting resists cliché, and she’s crafted a distinct lane for herself that often veers away from the narrow road most country artists are expected to follow.
Despite the sometimes rocky relationship with the country establishment, her fanbase has only grown stronger. She’s performed at Coachella, Glastonbury, and on major network television, and her influence has touched artists across multiple genres. By staying true to her perspective and refusing to be boxed in by industry norms, Musgraves has become not only a genre-defining artist but also a touchstone for creative independence.
Even as the music industry shifts, Musgraves remains a dynamic force. Her ability to evolve while retaining a core of authenticity ensures her work continues to matter, and her voice—both literally and lyrically—remains one of the most distinctive of her era.
Complete List Of Kacey Musgraves Songs From A to Z
m Kacey Musgraves’ albums:
- A Willie Nice Christmas – A Very Kacey Christmas – 2016
- Angel – Star-Crossed – 2021
- Anime Eyes – Deeper Well – 2024
- Are You Sure – Pageant Material – 2015
- Arm’s Length – Deeper Well – 2024
- Back on the Map – Same Trailer Different Park – 2013
- Biscuits – Pageant Material – 2015
- Blowin’ Smoke – Same Trailer Different Park – 2013
- Breadwinner – Star-Crossed – 2021
- Butterflies – Golden Hour – 2018
- Camera Roll – Star-Crossed – 2021
- Cardinal – Deeper Well – 2024
- Cherry Blossom – Star-Crossed – 2021
- Christmas Don’t Be Late – A Very Kacey Christmas – 2016
- Christmas Makes Me Cry – A Very Kacey Christmas – 2016
- Cup of Tea – Pageant Material – 2015
- Dandelion – Same Trailer Different Park – 2013
- Deeper Well – Deeper Well – 2024
- Die Fun – Pageant Material – 2015
- Dime Store Cowgirl – Pageant Material – 2015
- Dinner with Friends – Deeper Well – 2024
- Easier Said – Star-Crossed – 2021
- Family Is Family – Pageant Material – 2015
- Feliz Navidad – A Very Kacey Christmas – 2016
- Fine – Pageant Material – 2015
- Flower Child – Deeper Well – 2024
- Follow Your Arrow – Same Trailer Different Park – 2013
- Giver / Taker – Deeper Well – 2024
- Golden Hour – Golden Hour – 2018
- Good Ol’ Boys Club – Pageant Material – 2015
- Good Wife – Star-Crossed – 2021
- Gracias a la Vida – Star-Crossed – 2021
- Happy & Sad – Golden Hour – 2018
- Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas – A Very Kacey Christmas – 2016
- Heart of the Woods – Deeper Well – 2024
- Heaven Is – Deeper Well – 2024
- High Horse – Golden Hour – 2018
- High Time – Pageant Material – 2015
- Hookup Scene – Star-Crossed – 2021
- I Miss You – Same Trailer Different Park – 2013
- I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas – A Very Kacey Christmas – 2016
- If This Was a Movie… – Star-Crossed – 2021
- Irish Goodbye – Deeper Well – 2024
- It Is What It Is – Same Trailer Different Park – 2013
- Jade Green – Deeper Well – 2024
- Justified – Star-Crossed – 2021
- Keep It to Yourself – Same Trailer Different Park – 2013
- Keep Lookin’ Up – Star-Crossed – 2021
- Late to the Party – Pageant Material – 2015
- Let It Snow – A Very Kacey Christmas – 2016
- Little Sister – Deeper Well – 2024
- Lonely Millionaire – Deeper Well – 2024
- Lonely Weekend – Golden Hour – 2018
- Love Is a Wild Thing – Golden Hour – 2018
- Mele Kalikimaka – A Very Kacey Christmas – 2016
- Merry Go ‘Round – Same Trailer Different Park – 2013
- Miserable – Pageant Material – 2015
- Mother – Golden Hour – 2018
- Moving Out – Deeper Well – 2024
- My House – Same Trailer Different Park – 2013
- Nothing to Be Scared Of – Deeper Well – 2024
- Oh, What a World – Golden Hour – 2018
- Pageant Material – Pageant Material – 2015
- Perfection – Deeper Well – 2024
- Present Without a Bow – A Very Kacey Christmas – 2016
- Rainbow – Golden Hour – 2018
- Ribbons and Bows – A Very Kacey Christmas – 2016
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer – A Very Kacey Christmas – 2016
- Ruthless – Deeper Well – 2024
- Silver Lining – Same Trailer Different Park – 2013
- Simple Times – Star-Crossed – 2021
- Slow Burn – Golden Hour – 2018
- Somebody to Love – Pageant Material – 2015
- Space Cowboy – Golden Hour – 2018
- Star-Crossed – Star-Crossed – 2021
- Step Off – Same Trailer Different Park – 2013
- Stupid – Same Trailer Different Park – 2013
- Superbloom – Deeper Well – 2024
- Sway – Deeper Well – 2024
- The Architect – Deeper Well – 2024
- There Is a Light – Star-Crossed – 2021
- This Town – Pageant Material – 2015
- Too Good to Be True – Deeper Well – 2024
- Velvet Elvis – Golden Hour – 2018
- What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve? – A Very Kacey Christmas – 2016
- What Doesn’t Kill Me – Star-Crossed – 2021
- Wonder Woman – Golden Hour – 2018
Albums
Same Trailer Different Park (2013): 12 songs
Pageant Material (2015): 14 songs
A Very Kacey Christmas (2016): 12 songs
Golden Hour (2018): 13 songs
Star-Crossed (2021): 15 songs
Deeper Well (2024): 21 songs
Top 10 Kacey Musgraves Songs
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