“Star-Crossed” by Kacey Musgraves

Kacey Musgraves’ new album is a lyrically simple but musically dreamlike record

By: Avery Wageman

I thought I hated country music... until I listened to Kacey Musgraves. She recently released her fourth album, titled “Star-Crossed,” which demonstrates that country music does not have to fit within the confines of acoustic guitar, twangy vocals, and a banjo. Instead, “Star-Crossed” melds country with other genres such as Latin, pop, folk, and R&B. The album describes her experiences navigating her divorce.  

The first of fifteen songs on the album is the title track, “Star-Crossed.” “Let me set the scene,” Musgraves sings as she pulls you into her story, delving into a romantic song of love and heartbreak reminiscent of old Hollywood Western films. “Star-Crossed,” “Good Wife,” “Angel,” “Justified,” and “Gracias a la Vida” are evocative of the 1970s, blending country with hints of Latin pop. Songs such as “Cherry Blossom,” “Simple Times,” “Breadwinner,” and “What Doesn’t Kill Me” lean into ‘80s-centric pop full of synth and bass. 

I found the album’s final track, “Gracias a la Vida,” to be the most interesting song on “Star-Crossed.” It’s a cover of Chilean artist Violetta Parra’s song, a letter left to the world after her death. Musgraves describes her rendition as an emulation of the song’s perseverance through time. She captures that in the song’s gradual transition from its vinyl-static coated intro into a faster tempo with each verse and reaches its climax with a more contemporary sound with auto-tuned vocals. 

“Star-Crossed” is an aesthetically pleasing album to listen to, a dreamy soundtrack to a tragic love story. Overall, the record lacks in lyrical complexity, but has such a beautifully cohesive production that it’s worth the listen.