When lesser known creators win bigger awards such as a Grammy or an Oscar, there is usually a fair amount of backlash. It’s not uncommon for people to accuse the vote of being rigged or to turn to hatred of the small artist. This is exactly what happened to Kacey Musgraves in 2019 when she won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. In the runnings with Drake, Post Malone and Cardi B, no one expected this seemingly random nominee to win this big of an award.
I remember going to school and hearing everyone talk about how absurd of a win this was. With differing opinions on who should’ve won, no one seemed happy about who did win. Knowing that this kind of scenario wasn’t uncommon for award shows, I honestly didn’t expect that the winning album, “Golden Hour” would actually be remotely good, let alone good enough to win Album of the Year. Still, having loved her debut album to death as a twelve year old, I was curious enough to listen.
Judging by the success that occurred after Musgraves’ win, it’s easy to understand that the rest of the world shared in my shock and thrill after listening to “Golden Hour.” Raw, catchy and massively diverse, “Golden Hour” has songs to make the 12, 16, 45 and 62 year olds cry, all for different reasons. Many have said that “Golden Hour” is a perfect example of “Grand Ole Opry” country, with its instant memorability and emotional pull. It was no secret, everyone knew now that Musgraves was saturated with talent and began to expect more from her.
Though it’s hard to imagine being on the receiving end of something as massive as a Grammy for Album of the year, I can’t help but wonder if a side effect of winning some huge award like this would taint the rest of your work in comparison. In 2019, Musgraves gained a fan base that knew what she was capable of, but art isn’t merely formulaic and even the best artists can’t guarantee greatness.
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In 2021, Musgraves returned to release her next studio album, “star-crossed.” Featuring spanish-inspired ballads such as “star-crossed,” “gracias a la vida” and the artist’s first use of the “T-Pain autotune” effect in “good wife,” this album centers on the end of Musgraves’ marriage to her partner, Ruston Kelly. Musgraves has revealed in several interviews that almost the entirety of “Golden Hour” was dreamily inspired by her romance with Kelly, and “star-crossed” is a vulnerable tragedy chronicling their divorce presented in three acts; sadness, anger and redemption.
Critically, the album received generally positive feedback and was nicknamed “Kacey’s divorce album.” Her, “golden hour faded black” as Musgraves called it in the thirteenth track on the album titled, “what doesn’t kill me.” Despite well received status among critics, the general public reportedly had the same reaction; it’s inferior to “Golden Hour.”
Even as an outsider, it’s clear to see how this kind of criticism could kill anyone’s creative spirit. Creating art becomes less of a method of expression and more of a competition to outdo yourself. Though a little bit of this is good and even healthy to spur artists on to progress, too much of this feeling can suppress the desire to innovate and experiment.
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On March 15, 2024, Musgraves released her fifth album titled, “Deeper Well,” the second album released since “Golden Hour.” As of March 19, the album has received 11 critical reviews, nine of which praise the album, two reported mixed feelings and none being strictly negative.
In many ways, “Deeper Well” is on the same level as “Golden Hour.” Full of ethereal tunes, slower reflections on life’s beautiful moments and songs featuring that “Grand Ole Opry” style of country, Musgraves shows off that she knows how to do what she does well.
Though this album could potentially bring the artist just as much success as her first big-winner album, in many ways, the album feels like a pseudo-copy of “Golden Hour.” Dreamy reverb-vocals, simplistic instrumental inclusions and only one song feeling semi left-field (“anime-eyes”) makes “Deeper Well” seem almost like Musgraves shied away from adventurous song writing and wrote the second part of a two-part album.
Though there have been plenty of positive responses to “Deeper Well,” I can’t help but wonder if the negative comparison from “star-crossed” forced Musgraves to think that she is forever bound to the formula she created for herself in “Golden Hour.” Were songs as adventurous as “High Horse” and “Oh, What a World” not written because of the restrictions “Golden Hour” created?
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Once upon a time In 2014, a brand new country artist received the Grammy Award for Best Country Album of the Year for her debut album, “Same Trailer Different Park.” As this was her first album, her nomination alone was an impressive feat. Being in the running with huge names like Blake Shelton, Jason Aldean and even Taylor Swift, her win was a shock to almost everyone. This artist was the then-25-year-old Kacey Musgraves, and if ever the temptation to be crushed by comparison would come for her, this was the moment. Four years later, Musgraves proved strong in the face of fear and revealed that her talent had only peaked through the surface.
I think Musgraves certainly is capable of offering her audience fresh innovation and experimentation in the future if only she can break loose from the fear rooted in her past success.
“Deeper Well” is available on all music streaming platforms such as Apple Music, Spotify and Youtube.
