Kacey Musgraves Embraces Her Silly Side With 'Middle of Nowhere'

Apr 29, 2026 1:20pm PT LISTEN: Kacey Musgraves Embraces Her Silly Side With ‘Middle of Nowhere’ Album and Tour 'Daily Variety' podcast dives into news, trends and personalities making headlines in showbiz By Cynthia Littleton Plus Icon Cynthia Littleton Business Editor @Variety_Cynthia Latest LISTEN: Writer Aaron Tracy Explores the Life of the Author Who Excited Children’s Imaginations With ‘The Secret World of Roald Dahl’ 1 day ago LISTEN: Record Opening for ‘Michael’ Thrills Exhibitors and Fans; Surprise Madonna Appearance Lights Up West Hollywood 2 days ago Directors Guild of America Extends Russell Hollander’s Contract to Lead Union Through 2029 2 days ago See All Nino Munoz for Variety On today’s episode of “Daily Variety” podcast, in our Cover Story segment, Variety’s Chris Willman details his interview with country star Kacey Musgraves as she begins a new chapter of her life and her career. It’s a revealing interview, just like Musgraves’ new album “Middle of Nowhere,” which bows May 1. Willman, Variety‘s chief music critic, is known for his long relationship with legends ranging from Taylor Swift to John Williams to Elvis Costello. Musgraves impressed him when he first saw her at a songwriters showcase event in Nashville in 2013. He’s watched her evolve from her early ingenue singer-songwriter days to the position that she holds today as one of country music’s leading lights. Related Stories Where in the Actual Hell Is Randy Newman? And Other Questions Raised by the New York Times' Greatest Living American Songwriters List Willman notes that Musgrave is in an artistically playful mood at the moment. Popular on Variety “She’s a very relaxed and comfortable with herself. I interviewed some of her collaborators for the story too, and they say that Casey wants to have fun right now,” Willman says. “There’s definitely a sense of fun with her, more so than the last few albums. She started out her career being known for her sense of humor and even playing with some of the campier aspects of country nostalgia in her look and stuff like that.” With the 2018 collection “Golden Hour,” Musgrave’s work took a turn. “It was more of a dreamy folk pop romantic direction, more introspective, not so much humor,” Willman says. “And then she went through a divorce after that. So she went from the honeymoon album to the divorce album with 2021’s ‘Star-Crossed.’ So again, a pretty serious album there. And then last year she had ‘Deeper Well,’ which was almost like a wellness focused album and again, very serious. I loved all that stuff, but it’s fun to hear her being funny again, to hear her cracking jokes on record and in interviews and really re-embracing country as a genre, although she says she’s been country all along.” Listen to Daily Variety on iHeartPodcasts, Apple Podcasts, Variety’s YouTube Podcast channel, Amazon Music, Spotify and other podcast platforms. Jump to Comments Lesli Linka Glatter Talks Decades-Spanning Career, Working With Anti-Trump Robert De Niro on ‘Zero Day’ – and Why Everyone Needs a Moose Head on the Table Wayans Brothers Say ‘White Chicks’ Sequel ‘Can Happen’ if ‘Scary Movie 6’ Succeeds at Box Office: ‘I’ll Put it This Way; We’re Game’ Netflix Chairman Reed Hastings to Exit Board Kate Hudson’s New Netflix Co-Star: Jake From State Farm Brad Bird’s ‘Ray Gunn,’ Pixar’s ‘Gatto,’ Ricky Gervais’ ‘Alley Cats’ and a ‘Rick & Morty’ Spinoff Headline Annecy’s Packed Special Events Program  Netflix Latin America’s Francisco Ramos Says: ‘I Believe It’s Crucial for Talented People to Feel They Can Succeed in Their Own Country’ (EXCLUSIVE) JavaScript is required to load the comments. Loading comments...