In the wake of 2018’s stunning Golden Hour, Kacey Musgraves made the transition from star country singer-songwriter to star singer-songwriter, full-stop, with a sold-out world tour and a heap of well-deserved awards from CMAs to Grammys and beyond. Right at the time one might have expected to hear about Musgraves’ next move, the COVID-19 pandemic began to shut everything down and become the dominant topic.
Over the past few weeks, news has slowly trickled out about Musgraves’ next project. Today, she’s announced a new studio album called Star-Crossed and a companion film of the same name. The album is out Sept. 10, the same day that the Star-Crossed film hits streaming service Paramount+.
As on Golden Hour, Musgraves worked on Star-Crossed with co-writers and co-producers Ian Fitchuk and Daniel Tashian. According to a release, the 15-song album was recorded in Nashville earlier this year in less than three weeks. Above, take a listen to the opening track, also called “Star-Crossed.” Last year, Musgraves and fellow superlative songsmith Ruston Kelly ended their marriage; though the split was amicable, that’s not to say there was anything fun about it, and the experience informs the new record. As Musgraves sings to open the new song: “Let me set the scene / Two lovers ripped right at the seams / They woke up from the perfect dream / And then the darkness came.”
The release also notes that the 50-minute film was made during a brief, 10-day shoot in Los Angeles, and is presented as “a modern-day tragedy in three acts.” Below, check out the trailer, jam-packed with cameos from folks like Megan Stalter, Eugene Levy, RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Symone and singer-songwriter-rapper Princess Nokia. As the trailer unfolds, there’s what appears to be preparation for a wedding, a stint at a Stepfordian finishing school for newlyweds, the taking of a pill and careening into a new life.
Visit your favorite record store or this handy link to pre-order Star-Crossed. You can also pre-save on your favorite streaming service.
