Star-Crossed is the fifth studio album by American singer Kacey Musgraves. It was released on September 10, 2021, by MCA Nashville and Interscope Records. Musgraves co-wrote and co-produced the album with American musicians Ian Fitchuk and Daniel Tashian, with whom she collaborated on her fourth studio album, Golden Hour (2018), as well.
The album's subject matter was inspired by Musgraves' personal journey of heartache and healing following her divorce from American singer-songwriter Ruston Kelly. She described Star-Crossed as chronicling a "modern tragedy", taking influences from Romeo and Juliet, the famous play by English playwright William Shakespeare, and cited Bill Withers, Daft Punk, Sade, Eagles, and Weezer as her musical references for the album. Sonically, Star-Crossed is a pop record incorporating folk, dance, rock, and psychedelic elements, while retaining the country sensibility of its predecessor. It consists of mellow ballads, propelled by steady tempos, analog synthesizers, looped drums, and layered harmonies.
Golden Hour set the world on fire. What happens next? Star-Crossed, the film inspired by the new album.
Kacey Musgraves describes her newest album as “a modern-day tragedy in three acts” that “tells an extremely personal journey of heartache and healing.” The 50-minute film is directed by Bardia Zeinali and stars Musgraves, featuring appearances from Eugene Levy, Princess Nokia, Victoria Pedretti, comedian Meg Stalter, RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Symone and more.
The album was preceded by three singles: the lead single and title track "Star-Crossed" on August 23, 2021, followed by "Justified" four days later, and "Simple Times" on September 9, 2021. The accompanying film titled after the album and featuring its music, directed by Bardia Zeinali, was exclusively released to Paramount+ alongside the album's release.
Star-Crossed received generally favorable reviews from music critics, who regarded it the "divorce album" of Musgraves' discography, in contrast to the celebration of marriage in Golden Hour.
Streaming exclusively on Paramount+ now.
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