A flame sharply burning, a blue halo brimming with earnestness—and then, suddenly, it’s snuffed out by the air’s instability. This is the heart-ripper of a new single that Kacey Musgraves has released today called “star-crossed.” It’s the title track of her fourth album and its accompanying film. It was anticipated that the follow-up to her fresh-faced 2018 album Golden Hour was going to be a whirlwind. Out September 10, star-crossed is inspired by Musgraves’ process of heartache and healing post-split from Ruston Kelly. Earlier in the year she revealed, “It’s two people who love each other so much, but for so many reasons, it just didn’t work. I mean, seasons change. Our season changed.”
“star-crossed” is a dramatic spark that glows warmly with Spanish guitar and heartbeat percussion. There’s still elements of psychedelia and country, it’s a prologue for a personal odyssey. There’s a larger story here, but Musgraves won’t ruin it with an unforgiving climax. “I signed the papers yesterday / You came and took your things away / Moved out of the home we made / And gave you back your name,” she sings.
For the album, Musgraves collaborated again with co-producers and writers Ian Fitchuk and Daniel Tashian. The 15-track collection, which is formatted as a “modern-day tragedy in three acts,” was recorded in Nashville earlier this year in under three weeks. star-crossed : the film is directed by Bardia Zeinali, stars Musgraves, and will be available exclusively via Paramount+ on the album release day. “We wanted it to feel cinematic and epic without compromising the heart and the emotion,” Zeinali said in a press release, “to feel fantastical and heightened and tell her story through the lens of art and fashion.” The film will also feature Eugene Levy, Victoria Pedretti, Princess Nokia, Symone (RuPaul’s Drag Race winner) and comedian Megan Stalter.
You can pre-order the album here. Listen to the title track and watch the trailer below.
