Kacey Musgraves’ album Golden Hour catapulted her from one of the lesser-known female country artists to one of the most recognized and celebrated. Winning Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards in 2019, this album is known as one of the greatest blends of pop and country.
One thing that makes Kacey Musgraves a unique country artist is that she has strong country songwriting skills, but her music doesn’t really sound like stereotypical country music. This makes her songs able to be enjoyed by a multitude of listeners.
In Golden Hour, Musgraves pulled sounds ranging from disco, Americana, country, psychedelia, and pop. The album is packed with unexpected elements like autotune and synthesizers. It creates something completely new and unique. The creativity within the production of this album is truly remarkable and put Musgraves on the map as one of the greatest talents to come out of Texas in recent years.
Rainbow:
One song on the album Golden Hour that has become a Kacey Musgraves classic is the song “Rainbow.” It was created as a hopeful note to Musgraves’ self, but it quickly grew into something bigger. “Rainbow” has now become an anthem for anyone moving through life under a dark cloud, providing hope that things will turn out alright and the gloomy cloud will soon turn to a vibrant rainbow.
Slow Burn:
This track opens the album. When describing the song “Slow Burn,” Kacey Musgraves says, “It’s just an ode to the pace of something unfolding in a nice and slow way. I thought to myself, ‘The best things in life are a slow burn — something you enjoy the journey of.” The song sort of acts as an ode to appreciating the simple things in life and the moments when things feel like slowing down.
Butterflies:
“Butterflies” is a song about the exciting feelings that go along with the early stages of a relationship. Before meeting this person, Musgraves describes her life as dull, and things didn’t seem to be progressing for her. She was caught in a tough spot with no apparent way out, however, she unexpectedly fell for someone, and things changed for her quickly.
Space Cowboy:
On an album full of mostly love songs and self-acceptance songs, “Space Cowboy” offers a little variety. The lyrics, “But roads weren’t made to not go down, and there ain’t room for both of us in this town” are an excellent example of what the song is mostly all about: accepting that a love isn’t meant to be and allowing the other person to “ride away.”
Golden Hour is commonly praised for its general theme of acceptance and for offering a more optimistic and introspective take on life’s complexities. The topics that Musgraves discusses in this album are things that nearly all of us have experienced or will at some point in our lives. She is able to resonate with a broad audience through her relatable songwriting. With the quick pace of most people’s everyday life, turning on Golden Hour feels like shutting the world off for a moment and allowing yourself to be comforted by Musgraves’ soft voice.
The album is widely praised by critics and music industry professionals for its innovative sound and poignant lyrics. It took home every Grammy it was nominated for, including Album of the Year and Best Country Album. Additionally, the songs “Butterflies” and “Space Cowboy” on the album won the awards, Best Country Solo Performance and Best Country Song.
