Pitchfork: star-crossed

[COOOK 76,406]

   7.7

"Kacey Musgraves’ chronicle of marriage and divorce looks to the stars but takes pains to stay grounded. Writing in the plain language of someone desperate to be understood, she sounds alternately vulnerable and triumphant."

Spoiler

"Albums like Golden Hour seem to flow unburdened and inspired: little worlds that invite you inside to explore. To both its benefit and detriment, star-crossed is not one of those albums. Its seams show at every moment, in ways that feel artful—spoken interludes, thematic callbacks, a disorienting cover of Violeta Parra’s eternal “Gracias a la Vida” that shifts between settings like the grand finale of an Oscar-bait drama—and others that feel forced."

"These winks at the camera are reminders that Musgraves has always seen herself as an outsider, using her fierce independence to shine through a corrupt, heartbreaking world. This quality, as she remembers in the album’s brightest moments, is the spark that has sustained her unlikely ascent to pop stardom. There is a particular irony in Musgraves’ saddest, messiest album being the one she delivers to her largest audience yet, working with a wide team of collaborators to amplify its obsessive self-reflection into something befitting mainstream reception. This tension provides star-crossedwith alternating tones of vulnerability and triumph, as she pieces together a story whose ending we already see coming. “And the truth is,” Musgraves admits early in the record, “I could probably make it on my own.” She can, and she will."

Full review here.

Previous scores:

  8.7

 7.8

  8.0

[Pop Music 20,540]

I love the album so much but I def feel this will be her lowest rated album in many critics eyes 

[RichAssPiss 4,998]

I've tried so hard to get into Kacey Musgraves and I honestly just can't, except for a few songs that standout to me. I wish I could. 

[nswain1110 3,114]

18 minutes ago, Pop Music said:

I love the album so much but I def feel this will be her lowest rated album in many critics eyes 

Agreed - I think the album’s great but the lyricism and her trademark play on words is lacking some on this outing. Naturally critics are taking aim at that but overall she’s still getting favorable reviews. She sounds as lovely as ever, the melodies are superb as is the production. Love the variety of sounds and genre bending and blending.