On March 30, 2018, Kacey Musgraves released her third full-length album (not counting her Christmas album) titled, Golden Hour. Now for those of you who listen to Kacey Musgraves, you know that this release is unlike any of her previous releases in the past. Her two past albums, Same Park, Different Trailer (2013) and Pageant Material (2015), were very coming-of-age and led the world to believe that Kacey Musgraves was fearless and she did not hold back on anything she ever had to say. Those albums seemed to feel very homely and comfort-zoned for Musgraves compared to her new release, Golden Hour. Unlike her other two albums, instead of using sarcasm and wit in her music, Kacey Musgraves takes us through her emotions. A new road she has never taken before and I am completely here for it.
According to Twitter, it seems like I’m not the only one here for it either as many other popular musicians heart strings were also tugged listening to this album:
First off, the pop and disco influences and elements in these songs are not to be overlooked. If anyone could have executed country music with a pop and disco twist perfectly, it would be Kacey Musgraves. We hear this disco influence the most in, “High Horse.” However, it is songs like “Lonely Weekend,” “Happy & Sad,” “Butterflies,” and “Wonder Woman” that have kept this album on repeat for me since the day it was released. It is in these songs specifically where I felt like Musgraves took the simplest occurrences in life that you would normally have trouble putting into words, but SHE put them into words. She brought emotion to a new level for me.
For example, I specifically really really enjoy the concept of, “Happy & Sad.” It is basically a song about how things could be going really well in your life, almost like it is too good to be true, but you don’t believe it is going to last. Like, it can only go downhill from the top of the hill and good moments end. This is something I can really relate to on a personal level because I always feel things can be good for so long, until something bad happens and I live with that fear just like Kacey Musgraves does. I always want to hold on to those good moments for as long as humanly possible, but I always overthink about how things will ultimately go downhill and no one should ever think like that. That isn’t always necessarily true. “Happy & Sad” really put those feelings into words for me and I never thought about how I always feel like that, until I listened to this song.
Another song I can really appreciate on this album is, “Wonder Woman.” In this song, Kacey Musgraves talks about not being, “Wonder Woman,” to her partner and acknowledging that he is not a superhero either. Both are only human and are bound to make mistakes and that they should love each other as two humans, not hold each other up to their expectations of each other. I just feel like this song is so human and realistic. Especially these days, I think that people forget that people are people and we are all human here. No one is perfect and being human naturally means making mistakes, especially in relationships. To make any relationship work, you have to get rid of the expectations you have for someone and accept and love them as they are. You have to accept that they won’t always be perfect and neither will you. As long as you realize that, you can get through anything. “Wonder Woman,” really hits the nail on the head for me when it comes to this concept. This is definitely a song I think more people should listen to because it is so relatable and it is something that people in relationships go through.
The last song I really wanted to talk about on this album is the song, “Butterflies.” “Butterflies” was the second single released off of, Golden Hour and it is the most simplistic and most genuine love song I think I have ever heard. In the song Kacey sings:
“Now you’re lifting me up ‘stead of holding me down
Stealing my heart ‘stead of stealing my crown
Untangled all the strings ’round my wings that were tied
I didn’t know him and I didn’t know me
Cloud Nine was always out of reach
Now, I remember what it feels like to fly
You give me butterflies”
I first heard this song in a small live acoustic video of Kacey that Hayley Williams from Paramore retweeted. I believe it was one of the first times Kacey was performing it and she got all choked up because of the crowd’s reaction (they knew ALL of the lyrics). Watching that in video format had me all teary eyed for her not only because of the crowd’s reactions, but because of the song’s concept as well. “Butterflies” is about feeling reborn after you meet someone who you feel like you have been missing your whole life. It is about finally finding the right love. The song is so raw and simplistic, I truly believe it feels magical and if you could ever imagine the perfect love song, it is this one. This is so much so, that it gives me hope for a love like that too one day.
With all of that being said, I hope everyone who reads this finds it in them to go and listen to, Golden Hour. Even if you are not a country fan, I can promise you will not regret it. Throughout, Golden Hour, Kacey Musgraves really opens up to the world and focuses on the emotions that we normally would not be able to put into words. Somehow, she did it for us. This is MUST listen to album and is one of my favorites of 2018 so far.
I really believe we can all learn something from, Golden Hour, and for me, I learned that it is okay to trust your emotions and allow for them to take you on a ride. Sometimes those emotions may even lead you into creating beautiful music, just like Kacey Musgraves did.
I trust Kacey Musgraves with my emotions, do you?
Until next time, life starts with music and emotions do too.
-Kelli ♫
Myze Music 