Featured photo by Kacey Musgraves
Story by Danny Osborn
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Kacey Musgraves gifted fans with a record of spring sounds and healing messages in the new studio album “Deeper Well.”
The album takes the country superstar back to her roots. Her previous project, “Star Crossed” (2021), had pop elements that left fans with mixed reactions. Hearing that “Deeper Well” is similar to her first three bodies of work, fans and critics praise this record.
Musgraves announced the album during the 2024 Grammy Awards. During a commercial break, the singer teased new music in her “My Saturn Has Returned…” promo, which directed excited fans to her Instagram page.
The album title track and “Too Good to be True” were released before the album, and she performed both singles on “Saturday Night Live.”
The song “Deeper Well” is about finding yourself after a rough patch in life. Whether you’re cutting someone out of your life, quitting a bad habit, or simply growing up, this song is refreshing. With lyrics like, “And I’ve got to take care of myself / I found a deeper well, Musgraves encourages audiences to put themselves first.
“Cardinal,” the album opener, was written about the late John Prine. After the country-folk singer died in 2020, Musgraves kept seeing his favorite birds all around; she sang, “I saw a sign or an omen / On the branches, in the morning / It was right after I / lost a friend without warning.” Opening the album on this note is very cathartic.
The album has a mixture of up-tempo and serene tracks. “Cardinal” and “Heart of the Woods” will make you want to go outside and dance around a campfire. The two tracks “Heaven Is” and “Sway” are the most beautiful ballads released this year.
“Anime Eyes” is definitely a standout track on the album. The bridge of this track is wild, with lyrics like, “Ridiculous hazy, crazy, rainbow, explosions of ecstasy / Oh, my God, the memories.” Her unconventional line delivery reflects Nickelodeon’s “The Fairly OddParents” theme song. It is clear Musgraves’ inspiration was Japanese culture with mentions of tsunamis, “Sailor Moon“ and Studio Ghibli director Hayao Miyazaki.
“The Architect” tells a beautiful story about life itself through unique songwriting. The chorus goes, “I don’t understand, are there blueprints or plans? / Can I speak to the architect?” Most of the time, we have absolutely no idea what is going on in life, so asking to speak to the architect is asking for an explanation of what is happening.
The record closes with “Nothing to be Scared Of.” Listeners can interpret this song in a few different ways. It could be a song about a new lover, friends, family or yourself. The chorus goes, “Come to me and drop your bags / And I’ll help you unpack them / You’re the only one I want to give my love / There’s nothing to be scared of.” Ending the album on this note is brilliant.
“Deeper Well” felt like an album Musgraves needed to create. Compared to “Golden Hour” (2018), which is full of love songs, and “Star Crossed,” which discusses divorce and heartbreak, the superstar appears to be back on the right path and in a better head space.
You can listen to “Deeper Well” wherever you stream music.
Danny Osborn is a contributing writer for MTSU Sidelines.
To contact Lifestyles Editor Destiny Mizell and Assistant Lifestyles Editor Shamani Salahuddin, email lifestyles@mtsusidelines.com.
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