TRACK REVIEW: Kacey Musgraves - Glittery

TRACK REVIEW:

Kacey Musgraves

PHOTO CREDIT: Ana Cuba

Glittery

9.3/10

The track, Glittery, is available from:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuKqt27A0cs

GENRES:

Country/Country-Pop

ORIGIN:

Texas, U.S.A.

RELEASE DATE:

20th November, 2019

The Kacey Musgraves Christmas Show is available on Amazon Prime from 29th November, 2019

__________

THIS review might seem like it is the complete opposite…

of the one I posted yesterday! When looking at Baxter Dury and his track, Slumlord, I talked about this sense of the unhygienic and seedy; some tension and a strange sense of beauty. It is a potent and intriguing mix that is among his finest work so far. When presented with a Christmas song from Kacey Musgraves, one might predict something schmaltzy and sweet. If the song I am about to review has a sweetness and Christmas scent, the rest of the review takes a wider look at one of music’s most important artists. In fact, when we delve closer into Kacey Musgraves’ personal life and inspiration, she is closer to Baxter Dury than you’d think! I was eager to review Kacey Musgraves because, bit only is it the first time (maybe the last) I get to review an original Christmas song, but I want to discuss an inspiring artist. It is unusual to see a new Christmas song out in the world. I wrote a feature a week or so ago where I asked why artists do not write original Christmas songs and whether we might see a future classic arrive. It is rare I write reviews for live tracks but, as Glittery is not yet available on Spotify or YouTube as a studio recording, I am taking the recording from The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. As a lot of artists rely on the standards this time of year – putting their own spin on it -, Musgraves has a new track out. It is not a coincidence that she was on the show to perform that song. On 29th November, she releases an Amazon Prime special, The Kacey Musgraves Christmas Show. The soundtrack version will include Troye Sivan but, as it is fresh and I did not want to wait until then, I am reviewing – one can get the song in its studio setting from Friday (29th). I will move on to non-Christmas matters soon but, before I discuss specials and why we need to see more of them, I should probably explain what you can expect from Musgraves’ special, if you are interested in watching.

The fact a new special from Dolly Parton has received some negativity, should not put off her Country peer. They are different shows and, in the case of Heartstrings, I think it was a bit misjudged. The Kacey Musgraves Christmas Show features appearances from Lana Del Rey, Kendall Jenner; Fred Armien, Troye Sivan; Leon Bridges and more. The album features a duet with Lana Del Rey on I’ll Be Home for Christmas; a cover of Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree featuring Camila Cabello and a whole host of other treats. This Pitchfork article explains more of what we can expect:

“I can say without a doubt that this project is unlike anything I’ve ever done before,” Musgraves said in a press release. “What started as the small seed of an idea one night over a year ago has turned into something I’m so proud of. Some truly brilliant comedic and musical guests are featured in the show—as well as my own Grandma. My vision was to bring my old Christmas album to life visually and create a modern and fashionable, fresh take on a classic format. It’s a nostalgic, Wes Anderson-inspired reimagining of the holidays. It’s heartfelt, funny, and most of all, real. I can’t wait to finally share.”

01 Let It Snow [ft. James Corden]

02 Countdown — Dialogue

03 Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

04 Getting Ready — Dialogue

05 Present Without a Bow [ft. Leon Bridges]

06 Making a List — Dialogue

07 Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree [ft. Camila Cabello]

08 (Not So) Silent Night [ft. Fred Armisen]

09 Christmas Makes Me Cry

10 Amp It Up, Dan — Dialogue

11 Christmas Fail — Dialogue

12 Mele Kalikimaka [ft. Zooey Deschanel]

13 Cookies — Dialogue

14 Glittery [ft. Troye Sivan]

15 I’ll Be Home Intro — Dialogue

16 I’ll Be Home For Christmas [ft. Lana Del Rey]

17 NANA! — Dialogue

18 Ribbons and Bows [ft. the Radio City Rockettes]”.

I think it is a shame there are not more Christmas specials. Coincidentally, I have also just written a feature about Kate Bush’s Christmas Special of 1979; marking forty years of an underrated T.V. artifact. Whilst some dismiss it as a bit half-baked and un-Christmas-like (as there is only one Christmas track, December Will Be Magic Again), I really love it.

It seems like it is a thing of the past, having a Christmas special show. Maybe it is seen as close to variety: a format that is not as popular as it was. I do like the concept of seasonal specials; big artists performing appropriate songs with others. In the U.K., there are plenty of artists that would be brilliant if they were given their own special. Kacey Musgraves’ unique blend of sounds is perfect for a Christmas special. She is a rising star and with her fourth studio album, Golden Hour, released last year (and gathering enormous reviews), there is no stopping her! As I will explain later, Musgraves is not a traditional Country artist. So many artists new and old are too conservative or they are a bit limited regarding their sound palette. If you are not familiar with Kacey Musgraves, this NME interview from earlier in the year gives some backstory:

“Musgraves has always had a voracious musical appetite. As a child her parents played her a lot of Neil Young, which she loved just as much as the ’90s pop and R&B her friends were into. She was born on 21 August 1988, a month early – she arrived on the day of her mother’s baby shower, so has apparently always liked a party – in the aptly named town of Golden, Texas. Once known as the sweet potato capital of the state, the crop has dried up in recent years but that hasn’t stopped Golden hosting a Sweet Potato Festival every October. Musgraves played it back in 2012. “My mom is already asking me if I can make it this year,” she says, in a tone that suggests that the Golden Sweet Potato Festival doesn’t have quite the same pull as the main stage at Coachella. Sorry Mrs Musgraves.

It may have been a small town upbringing but Musgraves remembers her early years fondly. “I had a very quote-unquote ‘normal’ childhood,” she says. “We were lower middle class. My parents were small business owners and they’re still together. I have one sister, Kelly. I spent a lot of time outside. I begged my parents for a horse but I never got one. It wasn’t a super luxurious upbringing by any means, but it was happy”.

Fans of childhood dreams coming true will be pleased to know she has now finally got her horse. Meanwhile, Musgraves is self-aware enough to know that there were some parts of life that growing up in a small Texan town didn’t teach her about. “No matter where you grow up you’re kind of a product of your environment until you leave that and get a different perspective,” she says when I ask her if she’d consider parts of her upbringing ‘redneck’. “I was definitely more in that category then. I just hadn’t seen the world yet, ever. I hadn’t been around a lot of different kinds of people. I know it sounds stupid but I just hadn’t. I moved to Austin after high school and of course that’s a huge melting pot. My childhood best guy friend came out to me one day, and that made a big impression on me”.

I will return more to the Christmas theme/show when reviewing and doing the conclusion, but I wanted to break aside and talk about Kacey Musgraves in the mantle of a Country innovator. As I said, a lot of modern Country is quite traditional and commercial. Musgraves bridges the gap between Pop and Country; there are Rock licks and Blues bars. Musgraves’ first few albums avoided the topic of love because, not only is it overdone and common, Country music is synonymous with heartbreak and love songs, perhaps more than any other genre. Whilst her peers were writing about lovelorn days and the unpredictable nature of romance, Musgraves’ pen was scribbling lyrics that would make blush. As this article from The Independent reveals, Musgraves has always been quite a bold songwriter:

“Hers is a unique kind of country music. Until recently, primarily because of those confidence-shattering relationships, Musgraves mostly steered clear of one of the most dominant themes of the genre – love. Instead, with her warm Southern twang and a wit that flits between silly and scathing, she covered topics most of her peers wouldn’t touch with a barge pole – casual sex, marijuana, macho culture, slut-shaming, the stronghold of religion, and queer acceptance among them.

“Make lots of noise, kiss lots of boys, or kiss lots of girls if that’s something you’re into,” she sings over slide guitars and affirming shouts on 2013 breakout single “Follow Your Arrow”. “When the straight and narrow gets a little too straight, roll up a joint… or don’t / Just follow your arrow wherever it points.”

But when it came to writing her superb third record, Golden Hour – which has already featured in a handful of publications’ “album of the year” polls, including this one’s – Musgraves’ life had changed. She had fallen in love – the kind of love that was finally inspiring enough to write about. After meeting her husband, fellow country singer Ruston Kelly, in 2016, Musgraves went from “walking around with a scowl basically every day”, to feeling a sense of peace she hadn’t thought herself capable of.

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

“When I found myself getting really happy, and my life turning around, I was a little wary,” she says. “I was like, ‘Man, I wonder if I’m gonna be able to write. I’ve never felt like this before.’ And it actually ended up being kind of the opposite for me. Just when I thought I was never gonna find any relationship worth a shit, he came along. I wasn’t looking for it. It changed my world, it made me see the world in a more beautiful way”.

It might seem quite a shift to read those words and consider, now, Musgraves is preparing a Christmas special that will have more than its share of sugar, sweetness and, yes, the saccharine. She is an artist who cannot be defined and limited; this is quite a rare gift in an age where so many genres are suffering with over-familiarity and soundalike artists. Maybe Pop is the worst offender, but Country’s core is not as diverse as it could be (I shall explain more later). I will talk about Musgraves’ views regarding gender and diversity in Country but, as a role model and performer, she is someone we should be looking towards. In interviews, Musgraves is fascinating and revealing. Musgraves is determined to speak the truth and, whilst she does sing about her flaws and heart, she wants her audience to relate to her; she refuses to bend the truth for commercial gain or any other reason. In fact, Musgraves spoke about determination and honesty in an interview with Marie Claire this year:

“Maybe, but for years that stubbornness was a vital asset as Musgraves navigated the music industry, helping her shake off pressures to modify her message and intention, buoying her as she charted a distinctive, daring path. Musgraves abided no guff, especially from folks who advised her against speaking her mind counter to the more rigid, traditional country music worldview. “From the get-go, I wasn’t going to sign a record deal unless I could completely do it on my terms,” she recalls. “And, yeah, there’ve been moments when I’ve been asked to change lyrics or to do things I wasn’t into. But I’m not going to bend in hopes that it’s going to reach more people or whatever. It’s just not worth it.”

PHOTO CREDIT: Charles Sykes/Invision/AP

Musgraves’s refusal to compromise her authenticity and vision is one reason her reach extends well beyond country music, netting a contract with IMG Models and a guest spot on RuPaul’s Drag Race. “I’ve always felt my best when I basically look like a drag queen,” she says with a laugh. “I love the glitter and the hairspray and the kitsch and the loudness of it all. I also really love when anyone just fucking puts themselves out there.” For her, defiant audacity and country camp came easy compared to exposing her tender underbelly—“I fixate on my flaws. I can be really critical. I think that’s the Virgo in my personality”—but it’s growth she believes these times require. “People are craving truth; they’re craving something real. People are tired of having a corporatized version of something shoved in their face”.

Kacey Musgraves’ Christmas special and its warmth is, perhaps, a natural extension of Golden Hour. This album is a lot more inward-looking and romantic than her other records. This new tenderness is still laced with plenty of kick, fun and guts. I think it is hard for any artist to change path and embrace something new when they have a record label and, invariably, they will want them to repeat what came before…only better. Kacey Musgraves explained her new direction when she spoke with The Guardian in April:

“Golden Hour represents a change in her writing towards greater space and tenderness. “Instead of focusing on turning a phrase, or trying to out-clever myself, this album was more about feeling my way through than thinking my way through.”

There’s a subtle movement in songwriting now, expressed by Musgraves and Sharon Van Etten, and even Taylor Swift: writing from a place of happiness is more creative than mining the classic bad guy motif.

“Creative people commonly have the misconception that they need to be in some kind of a suffering state to create,” Musgraves says. “And that can be dangerous. I’ve definitely found myself staying in unhealthy situations longer than I should have because I was getting something out of it. I was not aware I could find the same level of inspiration when I’m happy. But inspiration is always floating around, accessible to everyone”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Thomas Whiteside

Okay. I am key to come back to Christmas and Glittery because, let’s be fair, that’s the reason I am writing this review at all! I think Musgraves’ Christmas special and constant sense of movement is natural from an artist who is experimental and original. Not only has Musgraves told how she has seen U.F.O.s – I can’t remember which interview that was, but it is true -, but she has dropped acid and has a fascination with the cosmos. One cannot pin Musgraves down regarding genre and sound because, as you can hear through Golden Hour, there is so much happening! It is hard to label it as a ‘Country’ or ‘Pop’ album because of the blends she concocts. To me, she is a much more promising and wide-ranging artist because she does not aim her music at a demographic or just women. So many big Pop artists have forgotten that the genre is universal - and you need listeners of all ages and tastes to be able to relate and connect. I listen to music from Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift and it does seem directed at girls and young women; the compositions are not especially deep or interesting. Musgraves is different and pens music that can be appreciated and liked by anyone. Musgraves’ experimentation has been picked up by a few interviewers. When NME featured her this year, sonic and psychedelic experimentation were explored:

“If you’ve noticed while listening to ‘Golden Hour’ that Musgraves’ increasingly psychedelic sonic experimentation is also intertwined with a blissful sense of awe and wonder at the universe, it probably won’t surprise you to learn that – like artists from The Beatles to The Flaming Lips to Cary Grant before her – the album was heavily influenced by dropping acid. Both ‘Slow Burn’ and ‘Mother’ are tracks that started life as ideas jotted down during a trip, and the whole record seems coloured by the warm glow of LSD. It’s a way of working that Musgraves is happy to endorse. “Any time I can have the ability to step outside of myself and the human ego and be reminded of my place in the universe, that’s a very helpful tool for me and really for anybody, I feel,” she says. “This album was inspired by that opening of mind and opening of heart.”

PHOTO CREDIT: Michael Nagle for The Los Angeles Times

It was also inspired by an even more elusive and intoxicating drug: love. Back when she first started writing the record in Nashville, Musgraves went along to a songwriters’ showcase at the Bluebird Cafe to see a friend and by chance caught a performance by a singer-songwriter named Ruston Kelly. The pair got to talking and a few months later he went over to her house to write a song. You can see where this is going. They married in October 2017.

In lieu of an actual collaboration, the vocoder on ‘Oh, What A World’ was the next best thing. “I wanted to explore what it would sound like if Daft Punk and my favourite parts of country music came together,” says Musgraves. “I loved the notion of traditional elements meeting futuristic elements. I wanted to combine pedal steel and banjo with things that on paper don’t make sense with them. It was all about balance, because you don’t want it to sound like a fucking quilt that doesn’t make sense. It was fun to figure that out”.

There is so much discussion and debate regarding Country music and whether there is equality. I have written about sexism in Country and, every year, the facts and figures show women are overlooked and provided fewer opportunities than men. Some artists specifically campaign for gender inequality, but Kacey Musgraves is someone who does not want people to focus on gender – should it matter what sex an artist is when we could be talking about sonic and racial diversity. One can see her point, yet I think it is important to discuss gender in addition to sexuality and race. Musgraves is a sonic innovator and someone who, rightly, highlights how we need greater diversity in terms of the sounds of Country and Pop. It is vital that we do not fixate or give inordinate time to gender alone when there is inequality in so many different areas. Regardless, I hope 2020 brings about great improvement; artists such as Kacey Musgraves are pushing music forward and forcing people to open their eyes. It is a sticky issue talking about gender because, yes, women need to be seen as equal and heard but, when we do focus on gender, does that define artists? Is defining artists by gender naturally problematic?

PHOTO CREDIT: Erik Madigan Heck for The New York Times

I am on the side of tackling sexism as much as possible, but Musgraves had a different angle when she spoke with The Independent to promote Golden Hour:

“This soap box fatigue might explain Musgraves’ reaction to my next question. A recent Elle article, “The women of Nashville’s music scene are calling Time’s Up”, revealed that female artists make up just 10.4 per cent of country radio playlists – a figure that has actually worsened over the past few years. Musgraves herself contributed to the article, recalling a long car journey where she kept track of the songs played on country radio – “It was, not shockingly, so offensive. Two females among 31 males” – but when I bring it up, she rolls her eyes. “The whole gender discussion in country music is beyond tiresome to me.”

It is? “Yes, we can look at gender inequality, but I’m over here going, ‘Wait, there’s also so many other factors of inequality that are happening right now that no one’s talking about.’ What about song matter inequality? Sonic inequality? Everything sounds the same to a certain extent, and it’s very hard for something that sounds any different to poke through.

“Where are country artists of colour?” she continues. “Where are the country artists that represents the LGBT+ community from a first-person perspective? Yeah, OK, gender’s one of those things, but I also think it’s ludicrous that gender is even mentioned when it comes to describing my music. Why can’t I just be a musician, or an artist, or a singer-songwriter? No, it’s always ‘female musician’, ‘female singer-songwriter’, and it’s interesting because they just don’t do that for men. It’s never ‘Chris Stapleton, male songwriter’, ‘Chris Stapleton, male artist’. Why is there a difference there? I can’t really figure it out”.

I have covered a lot when it comes to Kacey Musgraves and her music. It is about time I review Glittery, as it is a song many people were not expecting. I think it is interesting it has been showcased live before a studio version. Normally, we would get Twitter teasers and build up before a single is released. Because the track forms part of Kacey Musgraves’ Christmas special, it got its airing on U.S. T.V. and sees Musgraves sing solo – I am not sure how the song will translate on the soundtrack/show, but it will not be radically different.

PHOTO CREDIT: Mark Seliger

With a band backing her, Glittery begins with gentleness and tenderness. There is a nicely rhythmic and flavoursome percussion that gives the song patter, movement and fluidity without being too forceful or intrusive. Keys and guitars accompany Musgrave in a performance that is sublime. I am not usually taken by Christmas songs and, when it comes to my favourites, they tend to be the classics – very few newer entries spike my mind. In terms of lyrics, Musgrave mixes in traditional festive images with something akin to her Golden Hour work. With her voice soothing, tremulous and passionate, one is instantly moved by the song and calmed. Maybe a studio version – or whatever is planned – will have more embellishment (and Troye Sivan is in the mix), but I like the sound of Musgrave singing alone. The composition has twinkle, glitter and light as it projects images of light snow and a dark evening. Musgrave, as the heroine, takes us away from the usual Christmas scenes of family togetherness and nativity and uses the image of a Christmas tree and glitter as metaphor. In some ways, Glittery is more of a love song than one concerning Christmas. “You shake me up and turn me upside down/Just like a snow globe” are the opening qwords. This image of Musgrave being swept off her feet and affected in this way is romantic, and you get the added beauty of the snow globe image. It is a nice comparison for a burning love and, as she says, this person has a strange effect on her; making her shiver from her head to toe – whether she is referring to her husband or coming at it from a fictional angle, I am not sure (one assumes it is the former). Not only is there the strain of Country and Pop, but I get little touches of Soul; some elements of classic girl groups of the 1950s and 1960s. Some might find some of the most effusive and love-struck images a little too much – “And I love the way you decorate my heart” -, but, as mentioned in this piece, Musgraves is adopting a more personal approach to music and looking at her life in a very positive way.

PHOTO CREDIT: Eric Ray Davidson

“You light me up like a Christmas tree” and “Every single kiss is a gift to me” takes my mind to a Christmas scene where lovers are entwined. We have heard Christmas song where an artist claims their lover is a gift; the only one they want – Mariah Carey, for starters -, but Musgraves puts her own stamp on the form. There is a bit of spice alongside the sweetness. When she sings “And when you take your time/You turn me on and make my life glow”, there is a positive coo in the voice. In the video (live performance), Musgrave closes her eyes and transports herself to home. There is this bristling edge of sexuality and physicality alongside classic love and the innocence of Christmas that gives Glittery body as well as heart. This image, too, of the lovers warming themselves up as it snows outside, to me, has a cheeky wink to it. Many might picture the two all cosy by a fire, but there is also that sexual component too - maybe it is just me! The band provide a suitably festive and evocative background; sprinkling and dusting the song as to allow Musgrave’s voice to stand at the front and resonate. Musgraves is a hugely skilled singer and there is a brilliant blend of Country twang and something completely seductive and soulful. Her commitment is true, and you can feel her voice swoon, warm and sway as she lets us into this idyllic Christmas scene. “Winter is so gray/It’s like the ice is here to stay”, again, has traditional tones but does not rely on the trope of snow on the ground; rather, we have this slightly more bitter and less romantic outdoor scene as, inside, the sweethearts are lighting the fire – indeed, Musgrave’s suitor melts the ice away when he looks at her. The song’s final moments provide the biggest rush and tenderness: “And I love the way you decorate my heart/Oh, so glittery/And I love the way you decorate my heart” sounds more powerful and sweet when Musgraves sings it for a final time. There is a lovely guitar twang and, with Musgrave at her most beautiful and enraptured, one cannot help but shiver a bit and be moved by the beauty. Another reason why I wanted to review the song in its live setting is because you get to hear Musgrave naked, without any effects or production layers. I am not sure whether the song will change drastically, but the Jimmy Fallon performance is stunning, and it will be hard to see how it can be improved upon. Even if you are not a fan of Christmas music (or, indeed, Christmas!), you need to listen to Glittery as it is a perfect match of the traditional love-based and Christmassy. Rather than have another overwrought and endlessly cherry Christmas song, here is a track with emotion, stillness and grace that, I feel, will appeal to a very wide audience. I was not sure how Musgraves would tackle a Christmas number but, having heard Glittery, she succeeds with a heartfelt and image-rich song, performed beautifully. Credit to her band for their performance and, come 29th November, you will get to hear the song performed as part of The Kacey Musgraves Christmas Show – it will be interesting to see whether extra verses are added and whether Troye Sivan adds to the song or removes some of its purity.

Even though Golden Hour was released last year, 2019 has been pretty busy for Kacey Musgraves. I am not sure whether Musgraves plans on coming to the U.K. but, if you can see her play live next year, then make sure you do. I think her music is not played enough in this country, which is a real shame because Golden Hour was one of last year’s best albums. Musgraves is so much more interesting than a lot of mainstream artists who seem so similar; like the record label is telling them what to say and, when it comes down to it, they hardly stick in the mind. Musgraves is a terrific artist and I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next year. Get on Amazon Prime on 29th November to see The Kacey Musgraves Christmas Show and a host of big names join her for a pre-festive singalong. I do wonder why there aren’t that many Christmas specials, as they are great fun and you get to see artists performing together who would not normally share the same stage! Among the few original Christmas songs that have arrived over the past couple of years, Glittery is one of the strongest. It features a stirring and beautiful vocal from Musgraves and, whilst I have reviewed a live version, the ‘final’ version is going to be very similar. It is a great song and has all the ingredients one could want from a Christmas track: a sweet core and togetherness; a mix of the wintry and warm and, topping it all off, a message of positivity. I have swerved reviewing Christmas tracks until now, but I think we are close enough that we can start listening to them. Also, Glittery is part of a wider special show and allows me to talk about Kacey Musgraves. She is a wonderful artist, and I will watch her progress in 2020 very closely. With Glittery, Kacey Musgraves (a little early) has got us…