Star Rating: ★★★☆☆

Alright this album is weird. There I got that out. It’s definitely over processed in parts, and has the dreaded drum machine, and auto-tune. So how did she get 4 stars from me? Kacey is so talented it would take much more than a simple bad production to diminish her natural talent, and yes, to answer the title’s question, she was on drugs when she came up with this seemingly mess. So there’s an excuse. However, proceed with caution, this album will grow on you, and is actually kind of brilliant. This new project pushes her forward in eschewing the typical pop and country sounds of today and gifts the listener with an amazing audio journey that delivers what it promises: A modern day tragedy in three parts. At first listen I was tempted to give this album a 1 star. After further review it went up to three stars. Maybe a month from now I will give it 5 stars. 

Now that you know my feelings about “star- crossed” as a whole, I wanted to dig deeper into Musgraves thought process and feeling on this album. In early August Kacey told Crack Magazine,“My last album is what people know me for. They see me as this starry-eyed, rose-coloured glasses kinda girl; the Golden Hour girl. Well, here I come with a post-divorce album, bursting the fucking bubble.” And bursting that bubble she did. I first became aware of Musgraves when I heard her song— “Space Cowboy”. The song has classic metaphors of comparing an ex boyfriend of hers to a horse running away from the stable. I am not the biggest fan of Country music, especially modern country, however when I heard the beautiful simplicity of her voice with the classic acoustic guitar, I fell in love with this song. That’s why this new album is such a shock to her fan base. She truly emphasized the “pop” in this country pop album.

Kasey’s song “breadwinner” is definitely a song that stands out in this album. When I first listened to this, the chorus would not get out of my head! Aside from the melodic, repetitious melody, the lyrics are what stand out to me the most. You can definitely tell when listening she talking about her ex husband feeling insecure about her success. This song is for everyone who feels threatened by the patriarchy. Kasey Musgraves is a Girl Boss for sure. Her songs help to empower women.

Finally I wanted to include some fan reactions from Twitter and also from the biggest Kacey Musgraves fan I know— Scarlett Montalvo. When asking Scarlett about her initial thoughts on “starcrossed” she said: “I love it! It really takes an interesting take on divorce and falling out of love in a psychedelic way. I love it.. It’s the best thing I’ve heard in a while.”

At first listen I was tempted to give this album a 1 star. After further review it went up to three stars. Maybe a month from now I will give it 5 stars.