Thursday, March 21, 2024

Kacey Musgraves is More Vulnerable Than Ever

Kacey Musgraves has released her fifth studio album ‘Deeper Well’. The album is accompanied by the release of two singles ‘Deeper Well’ and ‘Too Good To Be True’. 

‘Too Good To Be True’ is an introspective and vulnerable track, contrasting her career struggles with her romantic relationship. 

This album is the latest release since her album ‘Star Crossed’, which saw Kacey working through the feelings of her divorce from country singer Ruston Kelly. 

The chorus of ‘Too Good To Be True’ reflects Kacey’s deepest anxieties when it comes to falling in love post-divorce. “Please don’t make me regret / Openin’ up that part of myself / That I’ve been scared to give again / Be good to me and I’ll be good to you / But please don’t be too good to be true”. The chorus is the most confessional portion of this track. Since her 2020 divorce, Kacey has kept her dating and romantic life shrouded in secrecy. 

In verse two, In my mind, we're in New York / You had never been before / But, baby, now it's our town / I'll admit that I'm in deep / That I don't know how еlse to be / And I don't wanna slow down”, she is fantasizing about the relationship even though she’s fearful. She admits to herself that she’s in too deep, but that’s the only way she knows how to be. 

The music video for this single reflects her desire to keep her private life private. In the video for ‘Too Good To Be True’ we see her laying in bed with a lover. The scene cuts and a director joins the couple. Kacey walks off set alone and gets hounded by paparazzi. An interesting aspect of the music video is whenever Kacey is playing herself, the scene is in black and white. When she and her lover are alone and away from the cameras, everything is in color.  Signifying that she can only show her true colors when she’s away from the spotlight. 

Musically, the song is carried by a simplistic pop folk guitar riff. This single is indicative of the new sonic textures she has been exploring in her latest album. She has moved further from her country roots by releasing her albums ‘Star Crossed’ and ‘Deeper Well’. Sonically, ‘Too Good To Be True’ demonstrates to her audience that ‘Deeper Well’ will still have some subtle pop elements but folk-country is the main influence. The track is simple, which gives the audience room to focus on Kacey’s confessional style of songwriting. 

Connecting with her audience through vulnerability is something that has always been important to Kacey, as stated in an interview with Zane Lowe. I do believe in the biggest, most powerful form of connection is vulnerability. So it's like on one hand, I think there's hardly ever any mystery left in life, especially with artists. But at the same time, we're here to connect”. The listener can dive deeper into these themes on her fifth studio album ‘Deeper Well’, out now. 

What do we think of the new direction her music is taking?   


Daniela Gisel Macias

@daniela_gisel_macias_

Image: ‘Deeper Well’ Official Album Cover 


1 comment:

  1. You put my exact thoughts into words, well written!

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