"Golden Hour" Is Kacey Musgraves' Grammy-Winning Album, but What Is the Meaning Behind It?

Oct. 2 2021, Published 6:09 p.m. ET

Celebrated country-pop singer-songwriter Kacey Musgraves has never been afraid to be vulnerable, and her Grammy-winning Album of the Year "Golden Hour" proves that. Although the album was released in 2018, it's still a subject of conversation among fans, especially now that her follow-up album "Star-Crossed" has been released.

What is the meaning behind the album's title track "Golden Hour"? Here's everything we know about the album.

Kacey has talked about the meaning of "Golden Hour" in interviews.

"Golden Hour" is Kacey's fourth studio album and follows her first three, "Same Trailer Different Park," Pageant Material," and "A Very Kacey Christmas." In October 2017, Kacey announced via Entertainment Weekly that her fourth album would be called "Golden Hour." The album would be released in March 2018, just months after she married musician Ruston Kelly (although Kacey and Ruston have since divorced).

In her interview, Kacey cited new and interesting influences on "Golden Hour" sonically, including the Bee Gees, Sade, and Neil Young. She also expressed that, unlike other albums, "Golden Hour" would be more self-reflective and avoided wrapping lyrics "up in a little bow." When asked to describe what "Golden Hour" means to her, Kacey explained the concept.

She said, "I was thinking about how there are different masks that we wear that represent different sides of us ... On this record, there’s the lonely girl, the blissful girl, the new wife, the girl that’s missing her mom, the angry girl, the sarcastic girl, the ‘60s-sequined Cruella De Vil with the beehive, the shy girl, the life of the party, the winner, the loser — they’re all characters on this record. None of them alone are me, but the golden hour is when they all come together and you see me as a whole."

Kacey has also said that "Golden Hour" has a separate meaning for her relationship and marriage. "I have a lot more love songs this time around ... [But] I’m coming off getting married and being in this golden hour of my personal life, where all these things are finally coming to fruition." She felt inspired to write about her now-ex-husband, and that was channeled into the album as well.

While news of Kacey's divorce shook fans and casual listeners alike after her declarative statements about "Golden Hour," her latest album, "Star-Crossed," has quickly become a symbol of new hope after a tragedy such as a divorce. Many on Twitter jokingly referred to the album itself as a "divorce album" in the same way that "Golden Hour" had been a sort of honeymoon album, but they're perfect in tandem.

"Golden Hour" and "Star-Crossed" are streaming on Apple Music, Spotify, and Amazon Music.

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