American singer Kacey Musgraves has a new album out entitled Star-Crossed. The themes are love, heartbreak and various life experiences. Kacey Musgraves, Ian Fitchuk, and Daniel Tashian wrote and produced many of the songs.
The music is Country. The album has musical styles from the 70s (especially psychedelic music) and 90s – there’s also a modern twist. The song Star-Crossed parallels three other songs: Bruno Mars’ The Way You Are (in the beginning), Mary Hopkin’s Those Were The Days and Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody. The tune Good Wife parallels The Eagles’ song Hotel California, except for a faster rhythm. The song Simple Times is impressive parallels 90s techno that is rhythmic and bold.
The musical styles also go from modern to classic. Gracias a la Vida has a lovely, soothing Spanish component- an old-fashioned vibe and parallel to old movies. Cherry Blossom has incredible Japanese music. If This Was a Movie has a rock sound combined with a beat similar to Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve and Just an Illusion by Imagination. The song There’s a light has a rhythm similar to that of the tune When The Deserts Kissed the Rain. The music is remarkable in the variety of musical styles and the rich tones.
Kacey Musgraves’s voice is smooth and rhythmic. Her voice is soft, whisper-like, and she captures the essence of each. She sings with grace, heart and soul.
The lyrics are poetic and rich in language and depth. The songs have an incredible range of subject matter and from the heart.
Some songs describe profound emotions from sadness to nostalgia. Star-Crossed is about the struggles of relationships and, at times, how it doesn’t work out. The confusion and grief of a failed relationship feel relatable. The song Simple Times is about remembering when life felt easy before becoming an adult, without a care in the world.
Other pieces cover heartbreak with impressive depth, such as Angel, Breadwinner and Hookup Scene. Angel is about the unrealistic expectations of relationships, and the song Breadwinner also demonstrates a similar scenario. The tune Hookup Scene is a powerful one that covers life where people get together, but it’s superficial and short-lived. Camera Roll is an intriguing piece about hardships in life that covers how we don’t take pictures of “bad times” from the past, which can seem surprising. A touching piece is Easier Said that is about the struggles to love another person because of various factors that are beyond one’s control. A parallel scenario is applicable with the song If This Was A Movie, which represents what one imagines (based on film portrayals of love and dating) versus the more complex realities – described in detail.
The album also has happier subject matter and hope after hard times. Here are some examples. The first one is Good Wife that is heartwarming and sweet in expressing the hopes and dreams of a wife who loves her husband. Keep Looking Up is a positive and inspirational song about never giving up – words of wisdom from a father. What Doesn’t Kill Me is also positive and moving, as well as the courage to say enough is enough! It starts with some heartache but then it gets better. That also applies to the piece Justified. The song There’s a light is a hopeful tune with a 90s lyrical vibe and represents the light at the end of the tunnel after going through tough times. Cherry Blossom feels like a lovely homage to Japan. The song Gracias a la Vida is fantastic, especially hearing beautiful lyrics in Spanish. Violeta Parra wrote this piece with great poetry.
The lyrics are well-written, full of depth and soul. Kacey Musgraves, Ian Fitchuk, and Daniel Tashian wrote many of the songs. Also, Violeta Parra, BJ Burton, Ilsey, Dewain Whitmore, Dante Jones, Drew Love.
The album Star-Crossed is available.
