Erickson 1

Nicole Erickson

Professor Kathryn Sandy-Smith

English Composition II

October 9, 2020

Summary for a Grade

In New York Magazines, “The Top 25 Songs that Matter Now,” Lizzy Goodman’s article
”Our Freshest Pop and Country Superstar is Not The Usual Kind of Outlaw” places tenth place
discussing Kacey Musgraves song, “Slow Burn” and Musgraves unconventional and
unapologetic approach to her own version of country music. In this article Goodman recounts her
interview she had with Kacey in Wisconsin on her tour bus in January of 2019, one month before
she later wins four Grammys including Album of the Year for “Golden Hour.”

Goodman showcases how Kacey has always been a rebel against conformity and an
advocate of speaking out for what she believes. Even as a child, she received lots of detentions
and as she showcases in her single, “Slow Burn,” she made her grandmother cry for piercing her
nose. She is a huge supporter of the L.G.B.T community, the women’s march, legalizing
marijuana, and singing in a perfect Texas twang about the shackles of social convention. A lot of
her opposition is based around Trump and his family which is part of her inspiration for writing
her Grammy winning album, “Golden Hour,” which is a rally behind her beliefs.

“Golden Hour” meanings lie deeper than just politics. Musgraves reveals to Goodman
that her inspiration lies deep into humanity and what humanity's true meaning is. She
acknowledges that the world is big and might seem mundane but everything is bigger than just
humanity. It is additionally a love song for her now husband, singer and songwriter Ruston
Kelly.

When discussing “Slow Burn,” and other tracks on the album Musgraves talks about
tripping off of acid safely but only a couple times. She says she did it “enough to be able to get
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outside of yourself and see a different perspective or point of view.” Musgraves philosophy is to
rally music around hope and turn off hate. She responds to the heaviness in society with lightness
in a hope to unite and keep music alive as an outlet.

Goodman showcases what makes Musgraves so relatable by displaying her down to earth
mentality. Kacey can fall down YouTube rabbit holes, binge watch tv, read classic novels, loves
four wheeling and hunts for Bigfoot in her past time. She even leads her ensemble with a group
shot of tequila as a pre show ritual before going on stage.

Even in her early years Musgraves refuses to be the stereotypical country girl and proudly
says, “ When it comes to art, I will not bend.” Kacey Musgraves grew up in a very small town 90
minutes outside of Dallas, Texas. Even as a small child her sister and parents knew she would be
a musician but on her own terms. Her influences as a child were insanely eclectic. She took
inspiration from the classic pop band, the Spice Girls, but also listened to emo rock bands.
Strangely enough, the music she played in her kids group, the Buckaroos, was Western swing
and yodeling and by 9, she was writing her own music and playing the guitar for it. Her
grandmother was the one who handled all her press kits because her parents were busy owning
their own printing shop.

During her teenage years, she rebelled against the classic Country fashion by cutting off
all her hair but that rebellion did not last long. Once she moved to Nashville at 19, she decided to
bring back the Western fashion and music and make it slightly more modern. Taking inspiration
from huge western music pillars like Loretta Lynn and John Prine. John Prine is now one of her
fans admiring how, “she’s breaking down barriers.”

Goodman shares an example of Musgraves non conformist attitude when she famously
sang “Follow Your Arrow” at the 2013 Country Radio Seminar, a huge event in the country
music industry. The music executives preferred Kacey to sing a more classic, less controversial
song so early in her career. Ignoring her executives pleas, Musgraves speaks into the
microphone, “I’m kind of a big believer in people doing whatever the hell they want to do,
because I feel like society is probably going to have an opinion either way,” and the crowd goes
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wild. At that moment, Goodman says, “A star is born.” The producers of “Nashville,” a hit
television show, take inspiration from the 2013 performance. A similar scenario occurs during
the introduction of a breakout song from the series, “ Undermine,” a song that Musgraves co-
wrote.

Throughout her rise of fame, Musgraves tries to keep a level of humility. Goodman talks
about how Kacey feels she made it when she signed her first songwriting deal in 2009 and the
rest is just extra. Musgraves actually turned down her first recording deal because she wanted to
find her own voice before she produced her own music. In her early records, Musgraves focused
on verbal cleverness and edginess. She prided herself on being a wordsmith. After her first two
albums, she decided to make her music less obvious because the world was weighing her down.
She wanted her music to reflect her views without throwing it in peoples faces hoping to induce
a sense of coming togetherness. That mentality was inspired by Willie Nelson.

With 2020 approaching, Musgraves discusses how executives have already planned out
anticipation for a new album. She is a little concerned that the “muse” will not come but since
her first song has already come to Kacey, she is not terribly concerned. Goodman gushes about
how Musgraves straddles the norm and decides to do whatever makes her happy. Whether it be
wearing a robe that resembles a grandmother or eating melatonin gummies, Musgraves is
unapologetically herself.
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Works Cited

Abebe, Nitsuh. “Introduction.” 25 Songs that Matter Right Now. New York Times Magazine.
March 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/03/08/magazine/25-songs-
future-of-music.html. Accessed on 6 October 2020