To say Kacey Musgraves had a stellar 2018 would be an understatement. Her new record Golden Hour debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 chart, was included on countless music criticsâ year-end lists, and won Album of the Year at the Country Music Awards and the Grammys. Former boy band heartthrob Harry Stylesâwho recruited Musgraves to open for his 2018 solo tourâsaid, âItâs impossible to listen to her too much.â The world tends to agree. Last year Musgraves played shows from Sweden to Japan, putting her in an elite class of Nashville artists to break out of the South.
Itâs no wonder; Golden Hour is an impeccably paced album with infectious melodies and a refreshing lack of yee-haws. Opening track âSlow Burnâ commands attention with simple but alluring layers of strings and vocals. âHappy & Sadâ articulates that indescribable emotion of two opposite feelings at once, and âLonely Weekendâ addresses the need to balance a social life with proper self-care. While Musgravesâ twangy flair isnât entirely lost on electro-pop tracks like âVelvet Elvisâ and âHigh Horse,â she draws many different musical elements into her irresistible take on country.
Monday, February 18 will likely be the last time to see Musgraves before she starts headlining arenas, so catch her galloping across the US if you canâsheâs already sold out nearly every show on her âOh, What a Worldâ tour, including her Portland stop at the Schnitz.