South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
‘WHAT’S A POP STAR?’
After two wry country albums and a Grammy breakthrough, Kacey Musgraves’ universe continues to expand
Kacey Musgraves made her new album in a garage studio buzzing with domestic chaos. On a recent afternoon, the singer and songwriter, 33, arrived there to find a basketball rolled into the driveway, tiny swimsuits drying on the porch and a spaniel, Bean, rooting around the percussion section for a stick. “I don’t feel self-conscious out here,” Musgraves said. “You can try stuff, and if it sucks, it’s fine.”
Musgraves was joined by a couple of dads, the producers Daniel Tashian and Ian Fitchuk. The trio first assembled at the studio known as Royal Plum to make her 2018 album, “Golden Hour.” They tried stuff, it did not suck and the outcome was better than fine: “Golden Hour,” an album of psychedelic-kissed folk, fingerpicked country yarns and a shimmering dip into disco, won four 2019 Grammy Awards, including album of the year, and lifted Musgraves’ profile from cult country artist to mainstream contender.
After three albums for country labels, “StarCrossed” is a joint release with MCA Nashville and Interscope records.
There is a status anxiety that stalks country stars who flirt with pop, as if one genre is the provenance of authentic artistry and the other the land of losing touch and selling out. Really, the commercial demands of Nashville have always enforced their own restrictions on artists, especially women. And these days, with Billie Eilish, Lil Nas X and Bad Bunny redefining what superstars sound like, it’s pop music that is feeling more like the wild West. When Musgraves was asked if it was her ambition to become a big pop star, she replied: “What’s a pop star?”