Now that Golden Hour is over, the stars are coming out. Kacey Musgraves has announced that her long-teased fourth album will be called star-crossed and will be released on September 10. The news came alongside a new interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, in which Musgraves expanded on how her recent divorce from Ruston Kelley inspired the album. “It’s to be fucked by love or luck,†she said of the title. “You’re ill-fated, it’s just not written in the stars. It is not for you.†As Musgraves has described in previous interviews, the 15-song album is inspired by Greek tragedies, tracing the arc of “a modern tragedy in three acts,†she told Lowe. With the announcement, she released the title track, which opens the album and begins its narrative. “Let me set the scene / Two lovers ripped right at the seams,†she begins, over flourishes of harp and acoustic guitar. “They woke up from the perfect dream / And then the darkness came.â€
The singer-songwriter also released a trailer for a film, starring herself, to accompany the album on Paramount+ on September 10. Per the trailer, the 50-minute visual features cameos by actor Eugene Levy, Drag Race winner Symone, rapper Princess Nokia, actor Victoria Pedretti, and comedian Meg Stalter.
“I feel this record couldn’t be more literal in some ways,†Musgraves added in the Apple Music interview. “But I also feel it’s got this theatrical, kind of almost fantasy take on — I wanted there to be that, just kind of that classical story. That classical vibe, kind of woven through all these other modern sounds.†The announcement comes two days after Musgraves’s birthday, when she posted a string of 15 song teasers to her Instagram. Earlier in August, Musgraves teased the songs “Camera Roll†and “Angel,†along with the title track, on the podcast A Slight Change of Plans.
Musgraves released her third album, Golden Hour, in March 2018, to rave reviews and recognition as one of the best albums of that year. The album, which fused country with pop and electronic sounds, won Album of the Year at the 2019 Grammys. “I’m excited to share star-crossed just because people know me to be a songwriter that writes about what I’m going through,†she continued to Apple Music. “And I think it would have been extremely awkward if I just acted this last chapter didn’t happen for me. So I think you saw my highlight reel with Golden Hour and this is the other side of that.†Find the full track list of star-crossed below.
Act I
1. “star-crossedâ€
2. “good wifeâ€
3. “cherry blossomâ€
4. “simple timesâ€
5. “if this was a movieâ€
Act II
6. “justifiedâ€
7. “angelâ€
8. “breadwinnerâ€
9. “camera rollâ€
10. “easier saidâ€
Act III
11. “hookup sceneâ€
12. “keep lookin’ upâ€
13. “what doesn’t kill meâ€
14. “there is a lightâ€
15. “gracias a la vidaâ€
This post has been updated throughout.