Exterior. Middle of nowhere, Texas. Sunrise. On a horse.

That’s where Kacey Musgraves’ new album Middle of Nowhere transports listeners, in the heart of Texas surrounded by nothing but her thoughts and the process of moving on. Released May 1 via Lost Highway Records, Middle of Nowhere is a breakthrough break-up album told years after the breakup took place. Maybe she pushed forward and moved on shortly after tragedy struck but then, far in the future where she pictured already being with someone else, those same, heartbreaking emotions hit, and Musgraves can no longer rely on the idea that time heals all.

Middle of Nowhere - Kacey Musgraves — Middle of Nowhere – Kacey Musgraves

Middle of Nowhere’s 13 tracks are a love letter to Texas, becoming more mature, and Musgraves noticing her own patterns and trying to break out of them. The album opens with the titular song “Middle of Nowhere,” introducing the listeners to where the album takes place. In the same fashion as the first ten minutes of a film, “Middle of Nowhere” provides exposition for Musgraves’ mindset, accompanied largely by just the twang of a guitar. “The thing that I love about the place that I’m in / There’s no reckless men who don’t know what they want / I’m trying to lean in to the in-between / It’s just me and me, and that’s all I need.”

And the story continues into the following track “Dry Spell,” the first single released off the album. It’s classic Kacey Musgraves: cleverly disguised lyrics that explain, in brutal honesty, her problem. With no man in her life, she’s in a sexual dry spell, another character trait we listen to her work through on the track. “It’s a drought out here, waiting for the storm,” Musgraves complains, eventually deciding to “take the bull by the horns,” asserting her personality as a go-getter, someone amped with catchy guitar strums that’s ready to take what she wants.

Kacey Musgraves 'Middle of Nowhere' © Kelly Christine Sutton — Kacey Musgraves ‘Middle of Nowhere’ © Kelly Christine Sutton

Songs on the album describe Musgraves’ state of mind through an old country music vibe.

To stick with the movie metaphor where Musgraves stars as the leading lady, songs like “Abilene,” “Loneliest Girl,” and “Rhinestoned” articulate Musgraves’ patterns, whether in relationships or while single.

“Abilene” details the story of a girl leaving Abilene, Texas and her partner there, all told through gossip and hearsay. It’s storytelling reminiscent of older country tracks, with each instrument carrying the story forward — every tempo change from the drums marks the beginning of a new chapter, and the guitar melody serves as an accompaniment to Musgraves’ narration. Toward the end of the track, Musgraves takes center stage, acknowledging that while it’s impressive to leave her town, she “probably won’t ever leave Abilene.”

Paired with a quick but steady beat, “Loneliest Girl” follows Musgraves’ realization that she doesn’t mind being single, major character development from “Dry Spell” that complained about this issue. “I don’t have to navigate nobody’s drama / I don’t have to act like I like all your friends or your mama / I don’t have to take on your childhood trauma / I’m happy to be the loneliest girl in the world.” Yet, on the flip side, Musgraves has no problem pretending her singlehood and heartbreak aren’t as devastating as they might be, depicted in “Rhinestoned.” She attempts to “put a little sparkle” on her depression, doing the same to the person she meets at the bar, claiming to the sounds of dive-bar blues that no feeling can be that bad if it’s covered in jewels.

Even more than building her character, Musgraves reconciles with her own bad habits and moves forward.

Musgraves isn’t one to shy away from sharing details about her life. The eight-time Grammy award winner reached her Coachella-performing level by doing just that, being honest with who she is, even if it means describing her less-than-ideal exes.

“Back On The Wagon,” “I Believe In Ghosts,” and “Coyote” are romance-dramas following our movie star continually dating people with avoidant-attachment tendencies. The first two utilize heavy acoustics and sounds reminiscent of Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler” to describe dating a person who will never change their ways and could never love Musgraves the way she deserved. “I wish that you were dead to me, you’re better off a memory,” Musgrave asserts on “I Believe In Ghosts,” paralleling her ex to an entity that haunts her with his constant pulling away.

“Coyote,” which features Grammy-nominated folk singer Gregory Alan Isakov, is a ballad equipped with wispy, flute-like echoes and the joined voices of the two. Like the turning point of a western film, Isakov’s callbacks to Musgraves’ lyrics sound like he is the man from her past, his words ringing in her mind no matter how far she runs from him.

Middle of Nowhere spares no expense at being honest in every sense of the word.

It’s “Girl, so confusing” but country. With Miranda Lambert, whose past with Musgraves is complicated to say the least, partnering with our protagonist on “Horses and Divorces,” Musgraves embarks on her journey to who she wants to be. It’s Texas with Texas, coupled with Mexican-style accordions that inspired the birth of country music, something Musgraves dedicates an entire song to on the twelfth track, “Mexico Honey.”

Other features like Billy String on “Everybody Wants To Be A Cowboy” and Willie Nelson on “Uncertain, TX” keep that same homage to Mexican influence in country music. “Everybody Wants To Be A Cowboy” comments on what Lainey Wilson described not too long ago: Country’s cool again. But with this comes wannabe cowboys that aren’t ready for real ranch work and are just in it for the big belt buckle and cowboy hat.

Musgraves leaves us with “Hell on Me,” the closing track as the credits roll in. It’s a callback to her song “angel” from 2021 album star-crossed, and a reconciliation via guitar ballad that every past disappointment is not her fault and it’s time to internalize that. Middle of Nowhere is a snapshot in time, the inner workings of Musgraves’ mind as she picks herself up by her rhinestoned boots and realizes that the best company is herself.

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