Kacey Musgraves is back and breaking hearts all over the world. Ahead of her highly anticipated album, star-crossed, the pop-country singer and songwriter shared its first single of the same name. The artist also announced the album would be paired with a film that will stream on Paramount+.
Star-crossed is said to be released on September 10 via Interscope/UMG Nashville along with the film, which was directed by Bardia Zeinali and shot by Matthew Libatique. The 50-minute film was shot in Los Angeles with cameos from Victoria Pedretti, Eugene Levy, comedian Megan Stalter, RuPaul's Drag Race winner Symone, and singer-songwriter Princess Nokia. Musgraves is expected to give her first-ever live performance of her new material at the upcoming MTV Video Music Awards at the Barclays Center in New York City on Sunday, September 12th. MTV and CMT are also said to broadcast the premiere of her music video for "Justified" on August 26th at 9 PM.
Read More: Kacey Musgraves Opens Up About Her New Album 'Star-Crossed'
The new album follows The Grammy winners' 2018 Golden Hour album, which was highly successful. Musgraves collaborated with Golden Hour co-producers and writers Daniel Tashian and Ian Fitchuk. The album is comprised of 15 songs, and is being described as "structured as a modern-day tragedy in three acts," that will tell an extremely personal journey of heartache and healing."
Speaking with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1, the singer stated, "I feel this record couldn't be more literal in some ways. But I also feel it's got this theatrical kind of almost fantasy take on — I wanted there to be that, just kind of that classical story. That classical vibe, kind of woven through all these other modern sounds. Which I always love when something classic or something traditional, something futuristic kind of meet. I just, I'm always intrigued by that."
The album comes after Musgrave's divorce from ex-husband Ruston Kelly, who she split from two years of marriage in 2020. The couple had tied the knot in Tennessee in October 2018 and announced their split in July 2020. In the new song, star-crossed, one can hear Musgraves's side of the story as she captures the beginning of the end of her divorce.
She sings, "Let me set the scene/ Two lovers ripped right at the seams/ They woke up from the perfect dream/ And then the darkness came/ I signed the papers yesterday/ You came and took your things away/ And moved out of the home we made/And gave you back your name."
Speaking with Elle, she stated the album reflects stow people who loved each other but couldn't make it work in the physical realm to be together. She stated, "It almost takes the blame off the two people, which is what I like, because it could be easy in a heartbreak to be like, 'Well, you f*cked up, it's your fault.' 'No, you f*cked up, it's your fault.' And it's like, 'No, let's just blame the stars. Let's just say that we're not meant to be.'"
star-crossed Tracklist:
- "star-crossed"
- "good wife"
- "cherry blossom"
- "simple times"
- "if this was a movie..."
- "justified"
- "angel"
- "breadwinner"
- "camera roll"
- "easier said"
- "hookup scene"
- "keep looking' up"
- "what doesn't kill me"
- "there is a light"
- "gracias a la vida" (Violeta Parra Cover)
Editors Note: This article was originally published on August 24, 2021. It was updated on August 26th after it was announced Kacey Musgraves was premiering 'Star-Crossed' at 2021 MTV Video Music Awards.
