Middle Of Nowhere - Kacey Musgraves
Known today as one of the most iconic modern country stars, Kacey Musgraves has just released her eighth studio album entitled Middle of Nowhere. Upon the release of her seventh album Deeper Well in 2024, Musgraves had some big shoes to fill with her next release. With her last album being a spirituality centered, folky country album, and a new sound compared to her past releases, the track that her next album was going to take was unclear.
Upon the release, however, the sonic shift that Musgraves had taken wasn't particularly anticipated, seemingly taking a darker turn as opposed to the heartfelt, hopeful, and ethereal approach of Deeper Well. Musgraves has embraced a variety of different aesthetics throughout her music career, but it is hard to say goodbye to the no-skip Deeper Well album.
‘Middle of Nowhere’ includes 13 tracks that, in comparison with Margrave's past albums, seem truly like nothing to behold. Much like the rebrand of many other mainstream artists that we are seeing nowadays, this era and album feels empty and lacking in heart. Musgraves has received many comments regarding the album, some even stating that her lyrics feel like Artificial Intelligence (AI). Some have gone so far as to say that Musgraves has fallen victim to the “AI lyric epidemic”, implying that she is being grouped into those other mainstream artists that are releasing music for profit with no pride.
One of the most notable tracks on the album that has received this sort of feedback is the 12th track on the album entitled ‘Mexico Honey’, with a chorus of jumbled up phrases that left fans wondering why this track ended up trending on TikTok. Musgraves has a notorious country career, enabling a crossover between the feminine mainstream pop scene and the country world, while still staying true to that folk-country sound. While an artist is welcome to change their original sound around as they please, the public opinion will not always remain the same. Musgraves' rebrand with her last studio album Deeper Well skyrocketed her career and music into the spotlight of the mainstream music industry. With Deeper Well finding itself at #2 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart, fans were shocked to see that sound left behind upon the release of Middle Of Nowhere.
It seems fans are split down the middle with their opinions of the tracks, some saying that Musgraves does not have to stick to what makes money, and others stating that Deeper Well was popular because of the authenticity that it provided, and the insight into not only relatable topics like heartbreak and mental health, but also humans connection to the planet.
If you are looking to give the album a listen, the best tracks to pick would be; ‘I Believe In Ghosts’, ‘Horses and Divorces’, and ‘Uncertain’, TX. However, if you are looking for that classic Musgraves sound that attracted so many of her fans, this album is not the place to find that.
Middle Of Nowhere feels like an unauthentic set of tracks that was put together and released without much thought, which is a tough pill to swallow for Musgraves fans, as to many the tracks just feel insufferable. That classic Musgraves country twang is still present, and Musgraves vocals never disappoint, but fans are refusing to believe that their beloved country feminist wrote these empty lyrics.
As difficult as it is to stomach, the music industry is taking a major hit right now with these forced mainstream rebrands. With the increased use of AI in the industry, as well as an uptick in artists rebranding to unauthentic styles and lyrics that feel soulless, tour ticket sales are declining, and at face value, the mainstream industry feels as if it is drying up. This applies not just to Musgraves, but to many other previously influential and iconic mainstream artists, the industry wants your whimsy back!
