Pour one out for Kacey Musgraves’ marriage because star-crossed is out and it’s giving me breakup anthems with a capital B. Leading up to this release, Musgraves has been open about the inspiration behind the album—her divorce followed by a period of self-discovery. Growth, we love to see it. It’s not a sad, stay in your feelings and pout type of album but rather a cathartic release and articulation of all the emotions and expectations tied to relationships. The self-proclaimed tragedy in three acts shows the exposition, climax, and downfall of a relationship.

There’s plenty of relatable lyrics for you to scream sing to in your car, bedroom, bathroom mirror, the possibilities are endless but I’ve pulled a few for reference.

“And if he comes home stressed out, I can pack him a bowl.”
This is from “Good Wife”, where Musgraves gives examples of all the ways in which she tried being a good wife. My personal favorite is the bowl offering because it’s untraditional but so relatable. Although I have never married, in my opinion, this is a requirement to be a great partner.

“I wish that I could put this game on pause, skip this round, take the headset off” 
From “Simple Times”, she’s referring to adulthood when she says “game” wishing that she could just put it on pause and skip parts of life like breakups. I, too, also think this—particularly when my alarm goes off at 7:30 AM for work but I would love to skip the painful parts of my personal life as well. Can we ctrl+alt+delete while we’re at it too?

“Being grown-up kind of sucks, and I’m just missing the simple times” 
Also from “Simple Times” which is admittedly my favorite song off the album, Musgraves continues to articulate all the thoughts in my head. Being grown-up does kind of suck! I’m glad she said it. So now no one can tell me I’m complaining because I’m just singing star-crossed lyrics. The song was also accompanied by a music video that is full of so many fashion moments as you watch Musgraves and her girlfriends walk through the mall with various outfit changes. Ultimately they rob a wedding store while a bride-to-be is getting ready for her big day—so the theme is being grown-up kind of sucks or can marriage kind of suck?

“If I cry just a little, and then laugh in the middle, if I hate you and I love you, then I change my mind”
The indecisiveness in this lyric is speaking to the worst version of me when I’m trying to order Uber Eats or pick a restaurant and I can’t make up my mind. On a serious note, the lyric is from “Justified” which is a powerful song for anyone experiencing a breakup as Musgraves beautifully articulates the range of emotion and back and forth you can experience. 

That’s all for the lyrics, the album overall sees Musgraves venturing into new territory with a lot more pop influence than country. Sonically, it takes you to a different universe that Musgraves has built with acoustic guitars and smooth synthesizers as she tells you her deepest confessions. It’s relatable, inspiring, and powerful and would serve well as a breakup bible.