Star-Crossed Album Review

Star-crossed (adj): to be f*cked by love or luck. [See also: “ill-fated”]

Kacey Musgraves's "golden hour turned black" with the release of her latest album star-crossed. As we all know, her grammy award-winning album Golden Hour was a honeymoon album that discussed her then-husband Ruston Kelly, in comparison to her newest album that is considered a divorce album. star-crossed is a story of relationship complications, heartbreak, and the art of keeping your head up amidst the pain.

In previous interviews, Musgraves has described this album as a modern tragedy and pulled inspiration from stories we are all familiar with, like Romeo and Juliet. Musgraves has three singles for this album: "star-crossed," "justified," and "simple times." The first single released in August 2021 reminds me of a song that you would hear in a telenovela. It opens with Spanish strings from a guitar and her vocals beginning the story that sets the whole album. "justified" is more of a pop song, but it is my favorite on the album as it is an overall bop. In "simple times," Musgraves brings us back to her country roots and familiar sounds.

Musgraves has always bent the rules when it comes to being a country singer. One of her most popular songs "Follow Your Arrow" was banned from a lot of country radio stations when it first came out. But of course, the opinions of other people are not going to stop her from being a country artist. She doesn't have to stick to one genre or the opinions of others in order to be successful.

Musgraves described artists such as Daft Punk, Sade, and Weezer as inspirations for her newest album. "there is a light," a song a part of act three of her modern tragedy, pulls musical elements from the disco genre. "gracias a la vida" is a cover of a Spanish song and has telenovela sounds like "star-crossed."

Full Tracklist

star-crossed

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 appreciate how the lyrics imply that both parties tried to make the relationship work, even asked help from higher powers, but in the end, they were star-crossed.

good wive

And the truth is

I could probably make it on my own

But without him, this house just wouldn't be a home

And I don't wanna be alone

All she wanted was to be a good wife even when it was hard.

cherry blossom

When we're on fire, it's something to see

No one can question the chemistry

Even in nature, timing is everything

The song talks about remembering the sweet times and not letting it all blow away.

simple times

Wish that I could put this game on pause

Skip this round, take the headset off

Put my lip gloss on

Kick it at the mall like there's nothing wrong

This song alludes to the nostalgia of the times you didn't know were sweet and simple.

if this was a movie..

If this was a movie

Love would be enough

To save us from the darkness

In this song, Musgraves talks about wanting things to just be back to normal or wishing that love was just as easy as seen in the movies.

justified

It was a fun, strange summer

I rolled on, didn't think of you

We lost touch with each other

Fall came and I had to move

Musgraves recognizes that healing is not linear in this song, and if she needs more time to heal, then it's justified. Not only is it a perfect song for the transition from summer to fall, but it's a great reminder that you will both laugh and cry as you heal, but it's okay. That's why it's my favorite song on this album.

angel

You'd only get the best of me

I'd nevеr make you wanna leave

I think in this song, Musgraves thinks that if she was an angel, then her marriage would have been easier.

breadwinner

He wants your shimmer

To make him feel bigger

Until he starts feeling insecure

When you are an amazing woman, people want to stand in that light, too. But, they can begin to feel insecure about the shadow that comes with it.

camera roll

I don't wanna see 'em

But I can't delete 'em

It just doesn't feel right yet

Not yet

Going back through your camera roll can induce feelings you may or may not be ready for. But it's too soon to delete them because you may or may not be ready.

easier said

It ain't easy

It ain't easy to love someone

I've been tryin' and I found out

That it's easier said than done

This song talks about how loving is hard. That's not something we hear regularly.

hookup scene

A pretty face might get you far

But still it can't replace

The kind of real connection that I crave

Although love isn't easy, neither is dating nor hooking up.

keep lookin' up

You never know what you may find

I've seen strange things happen all the time

Even after all the pain and uncertainty, you still have to keep your head up.

what doesn't kill me

I've been to hell and back

Golden hour faded black

Say that it ain't coming back

Ain't coming back

Instead of the common quote "what doesn't kill me makes me stronger," Musgraves puts her own twist on it in this song: "What doesn't kill me better run."

there is a light

Tried not to show it

To make you feel good

Pretended I couldn't

When you knew that I could

Even after her divorce, Musgraves found a light.

gracias a la vida

Translating to "thanks to life," this is a cover song and a tribute to the life she experienced with her ex-husband.

Musgraves compliments the album with Star-Crossed: A Film that is available to stream on Paramount+. Directed by Bardia Zeinali, the film is a 48-minute musical experience that goes along with the album and visually tells the story. Stars such as Symone, Eugene Levy, Princess Nokia, and Victoria Pedretti make appearances throughout the film.

Overall, I would rate this album a 7/10. I appreciated how this wasn't a big f you to her ex. They both played a part in the divorce. I felt that some lyrics could have been stronger. On another note, I really enjoyed the film that went along with the album. I felt as if it really did set the scene in a theatrical way. star-crossed merchandise is available on her website.