Kacey Musgraves

Kacey Lee Musgraves (born August 21, 1988)^[1][2][3][4] is an American country music singer and songwriter. She self-released three albums^[5][6] before appearing on the fifth season of the USA Network's singing competition Nashville Star in 2007, where she placed seventh. She signed to Mercury Nashville in 2012 and has released two critically acclaimed albums on the label, Same Trailer Different Park (2013) and Pageant Material (2015).^[7][8] Her first Christmas-themed album, A Very Kacey Christmas, was released on October 28, 2016.^[9]

Early life

Musgraves was born in Golden, Texas.^[10][11][12] She began songwriting at the age of eight, when she wrote a song called "Notice Me" for her elementary school graduation.^[12] She first learned to play music on the mandolin, then at age 12 started taking guitar lessons from a local musician named John DeFoore, which she later described as "one of the most important things that ever happened to me."^[12] Musgraves first got her start in the country music industry at the age of 18, when she would record demos to make money.^[12] Her mother would take her to local music festivals to sing western swing music.^[13]

Career

While living in Austin in 2008, Kacey was discovered; recordings from that time are available on a digital EP online.^[14]

Musgraves joined Lady Antebellum on their Own the Night 2012 tour in the United Kingdom.^[15] She also signed with Mercury Nashville in 2012 and released her solo debut single "Merry Go 'Round". The song is included on her album Same Trailer Different Park, which was produced and co-written by Shane McAnally and Luke Laird and released on March 19, 2013.^[16] She also co-wrote Miranda Lambert's 2013 single "Mama's Broken Heart". Same Trailer Different Park produced additional hit singles in "Blowin' Smoke" and "Follow Your Arrow". Rolling Stone magazine listed "Follow Your Arrow" at number 39 of their list of 100 Greatest Country Songs of All Time, and said that Musgraves was "one of the loudest symbols of young country musicians embracing progressive values."^[17]

"Undermine", a song co-written by Musgraves and Trent Dabbs, was featured in the ABC television series Nashville on October 17, 2012.^[18][19] Musgraves was nominated for four awards at the 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, including Female Vocalist of the Year. Kacey's fourth studio album, Same Trailer Different Park, debuted at number 2, selling 42,000 copies.^[20] Musgraves was also nominated for four Grammy Awards at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards, tying Taylor Swift and Lorde for the most nominations received by a woman that year. Those nominations included Best New Artist, Best Country Album (Same Trailer Different Park), and Best Country Song for both "Mama's Broken Heart" and "Merry Go 'Round".^[21] "Merry Go 'Round" won the Best Country Song Grammy award, and Same Trailer Different Park won in Best Country Album.^[22] Kacey Musgraves joined Katy Perry on the North American leg of her Prismatic World Tour as well as Willie Nelson and Alison Krauss on select dates during their tour.

Musgraves provided backing vocals for Bourbon in Kentucky, the lead single on Dierks Bentley's 2013 album Riser.^[23]

In April 2014, Musgraves won the Academy of Country Music award for album of the year for Same Trailer Different Park.^[24] In June 2014, she released a new song called The Trailer Song, which she debuted on the Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon.^[25]

Same Trailer Different Park was certified gold in August 2014 for selling over 500,000 copies.^[26] Musgraves' single "Follow Your Arrow" was also certified gold, while "Merry Go Round" was certified platinum.^[26]

Musgraves announced in late August 2014 that she would perform a ten-show headlining tour, dubbed "Same Tour Different Trailer" starting on September 25 and ending on October 19.^[27]

In September 2014, Musgraves said that she had begun writing songs for her second major label album, and planned to begin work in earnest with Luke Laird and Shane MacAnally later in the year after her touring schedule finished.^[28] "Biscuits," the lead single from the album, was released on March 16, 2015.

Pageant Material, Musgraves' second studio album, was released on June 23, 2015. To support the album, Musgraves performed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (June 9, 2015), Late Night with Seth Meyers (June 10, 2015), Good Morning America (June 23, 2015), The View (June 24, 2015), Jimmy Kimmel Live! (September 14, 2015), The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (January 8, 2016), and the Late Late Show with James Corden (April 6, 2016).^{[29][30][31][32]}

Musgraves was featured on a remix of Miguel's single "Waves", which was released on February 26, 2016.^[33]

On September 7, 2016, Musgraves announced the release of her first Christmas album, A Very Kacey Christmas. The album, which features eight traditional and four original songs, is scheduled for release on October 28, 2016, through Mercury Nashville.^[9]

In September 2016, Musgraves was selected as one of 30 country music artists to perform on "Forever Country", a mash-up track of Take Me Home, Country Roads, On the Road Again and I Will Always Love You. The song celebrates 50 years of the CMA Awards^[34] and secured Musgraves her first No. 1 country single.^[35]

Artistry

Influences

Musgraves lists Alison Krauss as one of her career role models. "I mean, how many Grammys does she have? She's just remained solid and true and great, and I respect that".^[36] Musgraves' favorite artist is John Prine because of his amazing songwriting.^[37] Musgraves also lists Lee Ann Womack as one of her childhood influences: "Lee Ann Womack is from near where I grew up in east Texas so I've always looked up to her."^[38]

Lyrical themes and style

Musgraves is known for her controversial lyrics in the conservative country music genre. Common controversial topics in her music are homosexuality acceptance, safe sexual intercourse, recreational marijuana use, and questioning religious sentiment. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Musgraves talked about criticism she faced for her rebellious lyrics. "I think throwing the rebel card out there is really cheap," she said. "The things I'm singing about are not controversial to me, I don't push buttons to push buttons. I talk about things that have made an impression on me that a lot of people everywhere are going through."^[38]

Discography

• Same Trailer Different Park (2013)
• Pageant Material (2015)
• A Very Kacey Christmas (2016)

Tours

• Same Tour Different Trailer
• The Kacey Musgraves Country & Western Rhinestone Revue (2016) - with support The Lone Bellow
• A Very Kacey Christmas (2016)^[39]

Supporting

• No Shoes Nation Tour (2013)

-Supporting Kenny Chesney

• Take Me Downtown Tour (2014)

-Supporting Lady Antebellum

• The Prismatic World Tour (2014)

- Supporting Katy Perry alongside Ferras

• C2C: Country to Country (2016)

- with Chris Stapleton, Andrew Combs and headliner Eric Church

Awards and nominations

Television Appearances

References

External links

• Official website
• Interview with Kacey Musgraves on Ben Sorensen's REAL Country