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[tps_title] 21. Drake, Certified Lover Boy [/tps_title]

Drake does not reinvent the wheel on Certified Lover Boy, but he does continue to prove why he is one of the biggest artists around as he continues to shell out hit after hit. It’s a familiar and worthily phenomenal record.

Stand-out Track: Way 2 Sexy

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[tps_title] 10. ‘Neon Christmas’ – Mitchell Tenpenny [/tps_title]

Neon Christmas is the lead-out track on Mitchell Tenpenny’s brand-new Christmas record Naughty List out everywhere now. It infuses the best of Tenpenny’s signature charm into a humble and polished country song with a Christmas twist.

The post Our 10 Favourite Country Christmas Songs appeared first on off the record.

[tps_title] 10. Pistol Annies, Hell of a Holiday [/tps_title]

Pistol Annies have released their first ever holiday record this year that is a deliciously real Christmas record, full of all the complications associated with the holiday for so many.

For those who think Fairytale of New York is the greatest Christmas track.

Read our full review here.

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To accompany the release of star-crossed, Kacey Musgraves will release a stunning film, debuting exclusively on Paramount+ this Friday 10th September. The film, directed by Bardia Zeinali, is a 50 minute dream-like production showcasing the 15-track record, structured as a three-act modern-day tragedy, charting the singer’s personal journey of heartache and healing. It’s a beautifully shot and detailed expression of heartbreak in all its forms and the complications involved in healing a broken heart.

As Musgraves has shared extensively, the project was inspired by classical tragedies, kicking off from the start of the film with an excerpt from the 1968 version of Romeo and Juliet – setting out the premise from the offset for a dramatic tragedy, before Musgraves takes on the initial role of narrator resplendent in a bridal gown.

Act I – ‘I Just Want To Be A Good Wife’ features a host of stars including Symone (Ru Paul’s Drag Race winner), Princess Nokia and Victoria Pedretti (You) in pastels looking like the 2021 reincarnation of Mean Girls. The act takes Musgraves from the role of an ‘anti-matrimonial’ robbing a bridal store with her entourage (terrorising bridezilla, Courtney Parchman – the viral star “AverageFashionBlogger”) soundtracked by ‘Simpler Times,’ before entering ‘Good Wife’ school, as she is joined by a legion of robotic wives to learn their ways, from zombie-esque ironing to robotic laying the table. It’s humorously and ironically done, embracing her pain at the end of her relationship, before transitioning through ‘If This Was a Movie’ from a life in black and white to a life in colour on ‘Angel.’

In Act II – ‘Before We All Lost the Sun,’ Musgraves experiences the climactic pain and anger at the end of her relationship. As she begins on her road trip, Musgraves flits through ‘Bread Winner’ on the radio to the words ‘Love isn’t always a smooth road and before you know it you’re speeding into a road you don’t recognise,’ summing up the act to follow. ‘Justified’ taken as a stand-alone excerpt would make a stunning music video, allowing the listener to experience the complicated emotions f moving on – moving between joy, anger, misery and hope using different speeds and landscapes – before being reminded of  ‘Simpler Times’ by her phone as ‘Camera Roll’ reminds her of ‘WHAT YOU’VE FORGOTTEN’ including ‘THE DAY IT FELL APART’ forcing her to crash the car. This is the most fantastical part of the film, where plastic body parts are strewn across the road, including Kacey’s singing head as nurses. It’s the one part that feels incongruous with the flow of the rest of the film, rather than pushing creative boundaries it doesn’t quite fit with the accompanying track ‘Camera Roll.’  As Kacey’s plastic body parts are dragged into the hospital, the notes of ‘Easier Said’ play out, before Eugene Levy (Schitt’s Creek) is brought in to examine the body and fix the broken heart, putting her back together.

The final Act III – ‘There Is A Light’ embraces the hope after pain and heartbreak. Musgraves is carried out of the hospital in a resplendent body armour to the same track, running alongside a stunning black horse. The scene is brimming with hope and a beautifully mythological feel that feels like the culmination of Musgraves’ tragic vision. This before shetakes a pill that transports her to a church where San Cha sings ‘What Doesn’t Kill Me.’ Kacey shimmers in a short bridal gown on ‘There Is A Light’ on the trippy, psychedelic-touched scene as the church transitions into a rave. Musgraves appears to dance off the toxins of her pain in this liberatingly joyful moment, before she is transported back to the facade of the initial wedding chapel from the opening scene. The final scene feels extraordinarily empowering as Musgraves sings ‘Gracias A La Vida,’ she is clothed instead in a red flowing gown – singing out all the pain and vulnerability of her divorce.

The film captures the dream and fugue-like stake of a break-up. Directed by Bardia Zeinali (Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande), it’s an incredibly detailed and sumptuously fun and upbeat take on divorce and pain, embracing the ridiculousness and the exaggerated nature of tragedies. It embraces the full extent and pushes the boundaries of Musgraves’ creativity.

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It has been three years since the release of Kacey Musgraves’ ground-breaking and career-making third studio record Golden Hour, since then she has experienced both phenomenal success – winning the GRAMMY for Album of the Year, touring with Harry Styles and experiencing global acclaim – and heartache – it was announced last year that Kacey Musgraves was divorcing her husband Ruston Kelly, amidst the outbreak of the global pandemic that put a halt to any touring plans. Her fourth studio album star-crossed was therefore heralded then as one of the most-anticipated records of the year. With a traditionally short lead-up, Kacey Musgraves has described the record and the adjoining 50-minute film as a ‘modern tragedy told in three acts.’ Sonically, the record continues where Golden Hour left off, infusing a host of different influences into Musgraves’ gloriously celestial vocal and sound. Lyrically, the record goes into darker territory than Golden Hour as ‘Golden Hour faded black‘ (‘What Doesn’t Kill Me’) and sonically Kacey continues fearlessly to experiment with her sound, melding in the influences of classical music, Sade and early 2000s R&B to the breezy country-rock of America and the Eagles, creating a lush and diverse sonic landscape.

In moulding the record together, Kacey embarked on a guided mushroom trip in Nashville, thinking ‘I would love to get to the root of my pain and see how I can transform it into something else. And the trip turned out to be a big bang explosion of a thousand ideas—the album concept, the album title, so many self-revelations and synchronicities that totally changed the course of everything.’ She continues, ‘The experience was about trying to transform my trauma into something else,” she continues. “It’s like the quote from The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran says— ‘the deeper sorrow carves in your heart, the more joy you can contain.’ I was ripped wide open.’ This transformation of pain is evident throughout in a record that feels like a hopeful catharsis and a sense of something greater than joy – peace.

The record is crafted around a tragedy formed into three acts, telling Musgraves’ own story: the exposition, the climax and downfall, and the resolution. Creating the record this way, allows the album to take on a theatrical and fantastical guise, interweaving classical elements alongside the broad and diverse production that seamlessly fuses onto its predecessor. So, the record opens with the ethereal words ‘Let met set the scene,’ a moment of pause and reflection between Golden Hour and star-crossed, rather than a reflection of the record as a whole. In the way of classical tragedies, the track seeks to narrate the overview of the story as a whole. ‘Let me set the scene / Two lovers ripped right at the seams / They woke up from the perfect dream / And then the darkness came.’ Accompanied by a glorious backing chorus line evokes further the idea of a theatrical tragedy.

From ‘star-crossed,’ Musgraves moves into the meat of the record on ‘Good Wife,’ where she offers up an ardent, plaintive prayer. ‘God, help me be a good wife / Yeah, cause he needs me / Even when he’s not right / I know he still needs me.’ It is important to note that Musgraves turned once again to Daniel Tashian and Ian Fitchuk – the writing/producing team behind Golden Hour – to create star-crossed. This allows Musgraves words to flow with an authenticity and raw appeal from the off and her sound to build on that created on her previous records. On ‘Good Wife’ the atmospheric, dreamy beats are brought back in and Musgraves shows from the off her lack of concern for genre rules and boundaries, a thick vocoder applied to her vocal, alongside juicy guitar melodies. The sentiments offered up on ‘Good Wife’ shows the depth of her love, but the creeping doubts that she was beginning to experience. So on following tracks, ‘Cherry Blossom’ and ‘If This Was a Movie,’ Musgraves reveals the core loving relationship, albeit one with undertones of doubt that signify storm clouds brewing. ‘Cherry Blossom’ will doubtless be a fan favourite track, sonically it is star-crossed‘s equivalent of ‘Butterflies,’ but lyrically it is its’ anthesis, where doubts creep in. ‘When we’re on fire / It’s something to see / No one can question the chemistry / But, even in nature timing is everything.’ On ‘Simpler Times,’ Musgraves yearns for the simplicity of being a teenager. ‘Wish that I could put this game on pause / Skip this round, take the headset off / Put my lip gloss on / Kick it at the mall like there’s nothing wrong.’ This ‘part’ of the record ends with ‘If This Was a Movie,’ Musgraves yearns again for a simpler scenario, namely a movie-set, ‘If this was a movie / Love would be enough / To save us from the darkness / That’s inside both of us / and we’d get away / and we’d be okay.’ On the track, Musgraves infuses dream-like, psychedelic aspects to create an ethereal atmosphere that again seeks to defy genre boundaries, bringing back a sense of nostalgia.

By the middle of the record, her relationship issues have moved front and centre, kicking off with ‘Justified.’ This track feels like a page turn on the record. ‘We lost touch with each other / Fall came and I had to move / Moving backwards, hurt comes after / Healing doesn’t happen in a straight line‘ as Musgraves starkly acknowledges the disintegration of her marriage. The hurt is clear in following track ‘Angel’ where she muses on how different their relationship would be if she was an angel. Still, she does not take the blame squarely on her own shoulders – on ‘Breadwinner,’ Musgraves sings about men who are attracted to the brightest women, wanting them on their arm, before the women start to outshine them and they start to feel insecure, at which point the woman is forced to shrink herself to fit the relationship. ‘He wants your shimmer / To make him feel bigger / Until he starts feeling insecure.’ The trajectory of the track allows Musgraves to take back the power of the track, showing her brightest self in the very delivery of the lyrics and story, ‘See he’s never gonna know what to do / With a woman like you.’ It is craftily delivered, showing the lyrical gymnastics of Musgraves’ mind and creativity.

Still, healing is not a linear process as Musgraves reveals on ‘Camera Roll’ and ‘Hook-Up Scene.’ On ‘Camera Roll’, Musgraves unpacks the toxicity of selective nostalgia, seeing the glamourised versions of pictures taken in the best and most joyful times and on the latter, she implores the listener to hold on and work on relationships, because the ‘single life’ may not be the fun and happy experience you might expect. The pain comes through yet more starkly on the deeply poignant and emotionally riveting ‘Easier Said,’ where Musgraves details the complexity of relationships. ‘I can wake up with a heart of gold, sometimes / I can be the one you need me to be / Never said that I was easy to hold, but I love you.’ 

On the final part of the record, Musgraves experiences a sense of catharsis and hope, beginning with ‘Keep Lookin’ Up’ that offers the biggest nod to her country roots, albeit infused with a psychedelic edge, on a track about perseverance. It’s an idea continued on ‘What Doesn’t Kill Me,’ where she appreciates her own resilience in a track that pushes her sonic boundaries forward, before moving on to the flute-infused, sparkling ‘There Is A Light.’ The record opens with ‘Gracias a la Vida’ – written in 1966 and appearing on the last album published by the Chilean songwriter and activist, Violetta Parra before she committed suicide the following year. It was a version of the song by Mercedes Sosa that visited Musgraves on the soundtrack to the psychedelic trip, experiencing a profound emotional reaction to the track, ‘It’s saying ‘thank you to life for giving me the gift of being alive.  The beauty AND the pain – the materials that makeup the collective song of existence and what it means to be alive.’ I, too, am thankful for all that – and so, it became the bookend of the record.’ 

What Musgraves has accomplished is something rare for a ‘break-up record’ as she honours the love and the heart of the man she fell in love with, whilst still allowing herself the room and grace to experience the complexity of emotions experienced in the disappointment and hurt of a broken relationship. It’s a reflective record, where the songs click into place with ease, the writing possessing an easy fluidity that does not sound like it is trying to be commercial creating instead a dreamy and languid sonic landscape. It’s a seamless journey that takes you from the high of love through doubts and vulnerability to hurt and ultimately hope. Instead of aiming for a bunch of hugely commercial bangers or positioning squarely in a genre bracket, Musgraves has prioritised the story of the record making it a truly polished project that should be embraced in its entirety. Musgraves has paid attention to every detail on the record, creating a rich, intricately carved and layered sonic tapestry. Her very nakedness in her lyrics and bravery in telling her story are what make this story so compelling. As she herself says, this record was a move away from her obsession with turns of phrase, moving instead toward getting into the ‘heart and the emotion’ of a song and is a perfect follow-up to Golden Hour that feels like a deeply honest and introspective reflection on where Musgraves is at now.

Editor’s Picks

Cherry Blossom

Justified

What Doesn’t Kill Me

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Kacey Musgraves releases new single and video for “justified,” from her forthcoming album star-crossed, out September 10 via Interscope / MCA Nashville.  The video for “justified” was directed by Bardia Zeinali and taken fromstar-crossed : the film, a visual companion to the album, also out September 10.  The video beautifully chronicles the quiet self-reflection and setbacks of rebuilding as Musgraves learns “healing doesn’t happen in a straight line.” The video made its broadcast premiere on MTV Live, MTVU, CMT, CMT Music and on the ViacomCBS Times Square billboard.  Listen to “justified” here and check out the video here. It’s another taste of what is to come from the forthcoming record and is a beautifully emotional track about the pain of moving on.

Earlier this week Musgraves released brand new song “star-crossed,” the album’s title-track and it was announced she would debut the song live in her first ever MTV VMAs performance on September 12.  The trailer for star-crossed : the film was also released earlier this week, the full film will begin streaming September 10 exclusively on Paramount+.  The film finds Musgraves reunited with director and friend Bardia Zeinali. The pair met on the set of a Vogue shoot in 2019 and he later directed Musgraves in the visual to the video for “Easy,” her collaboration with Troye Sivan from 2020.

The global premiere of Kacey Musgraves’ star-crossed : the film will exclusively stream on Paramount+ in the US, Latin America, Australia, the Nordics and Canada beginning on Friday, September 10. Fans outside of these markets can watch on MTV across its worldwide network of channels in nearly 180 regions.  star-crossed : the film is presented by Interscope Films and is an Anonymous Content Production in association with UMG Nashville, Sandbox Entertainment and Golden Girl Productions.

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Six-time Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter Kacey Musgraves will release her highly anticipated fourth studio album star-crossed on September 10 via Interscope Records / UMG Nashville.  star-crossed : the film, directed by Bardia Zeinali, stars Musgraves and will be streamed exclusively via Paramount+ on the same day. The title track, written by Musgraves, Daniel Tashian, and Ian Fitchuk, along with the film’s trailer are both out now.  star-crossed is the first album of new material from Musgraves since releasing her groundbreaking and critically acclaimed album Golden Hour in 2018.  Check out title track “star-crossed,” here and check out star-crossed : the film trailer here.

star-crossed, the album, found Musgraves collaborating once again with co-producers and writers Ian Fitchuk and Daniel Tashian and was recorded in Nashville, TN earlier this year in just under 3 weeks.  The 15-song collection, structured as a modern-day tragedy in three acts, tells an extremely personal journey of heartache and healing and displays Musgraves continued growth as one of the finest singer-songwriters of our time. Pre-order the album here.

star-crossed : the film takes the music from the studio to the screen with gorgeous visuals and a sense of heightened reality envisioned by Musgraves and Zeinali and shot by Academy Award-nominated cinematographer Matthew Libatique (A Star Is Born, Black Swan). “We wanted it to feel cinematic and epic without compromising the heart and the emotion,” Zeinali says, “to feel fantastical and heightened and tell her story through the lens of art and fashion.”  The 50-minute movie was filmed over a 10-day shoot in Los Angeles and features cameos from Emmy Award-winner Eugene Levy, Victoria Pedretti (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, You), singer-songwriter Princess Nokia, Symone (RuPaul’s Drag Race winner) and comedian Megan Stalter. The global premiere of Kacey Musgraves’ star-crossed : the film will exclusively debut on Paramount+ in the US, Latin America, Australia, the Nordics and Canada beginning on Friday, September 10. Fans outside of these markets can watch on MTV across its worldwide network of channels in nearly 180 regions.  star-crossed : the film is presented by Interscope Films and is an Anonymous Content Production in association with UMG Nashville, Sandbox Entertainment and Golden Girl Productions.

star-crossed track listing:

star-crossed

good wife

cherry blossom

simple times

if this was a movie..

justified

angel

breadwinner

camera roll

easier said

hookup scene

keep lookin’ up

what doesn’t kill me

there is a light

gracias a la vida

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