Golden Hour (Kacey Musgraves album)
2018 studio album by Kacey Musgraves
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Golden Hour is the fourth studio album by American singer and songwriter Kacey Musgraves. It was released on March 30, 2018, through MCA Nashville. She co-wrote all 13 tracks and co-produced the album along with producers Daniel Tashian and Ian Fitchuk, while her sister Kelly Christine Sutton designed the album's cover art. The record was mostly inspired by musicians Sade and Neil Young, as well as a transitional period in her personal life, including her relationship with Ruston Kelly.
- Big Green Barn
- Sound Emporium
- House of Blues Nashville
- The Great Gazoo Reading Room
- Royal Plum
| Golden Hour | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 30, 2018 | |||
| Recorded | 2017 | |||
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| Length | 45:44 | |||
| Label | MCA Nashville | |||
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| Kacey Musgraves chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Golden Hour | ||||
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A pop and country album, Golden Hour adopts various genres like soft rock, country pop, yacht rock, electronica, and disco. It also features acoustic instruments such as pedal steel and banjo with synthesizers and vocoders, leading critics to view those elements as part of Musgraves's adoption of contemporary production approaches. Lyrically, it focuses on love, introspection, and emotional balance; the album places less emphasis on small-town narratives and explores more universal themes instead, compared to her earlier work.
Musgraves promoted Golden Hour through televised performances and the Oh, What a World: Tour (2018–2019). Four singles supported the album—"Space Cowboy", "Butterflies", "High Horse", and "Rainbow"—all of which reached the top 40 on the US Hot Country Songs chart, with "Rainbow" also entering the US Billboard Hot 100. Upon release, Golden Hour received widespread critical acclaim, with reviewers highlighting its genre-blending sound and thematic direction. At the 61st Annual Grammy Awards, it won Album of the Year and Best Country Album, becoming the first country album to win the former since 2010.
Golden Hour debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200 and number one on the Top Country Albums chart, later returning to the top ten following its Grammy win. In other countries, it reached the top ten in the United Kingdom and Scotland. The album also appeared on numerous year-end lists for 2018 and was later included in decade-end and all-time rankings by various publications. In 2020, Rolling Stone ranked Golden Hour at 270 on their 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list.
Background and recording
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Musgraves released her second studio album Pageant Material in 2015, which peaked at numbers 1 and 3 on the US Top Country Albums and Billboard 200 charts, respectively.[1][2] The album received positive reviews from critics and marked her best sales week at the time, with 55,000 copies sold in its first week.[3][4] A year later, Musgraves released her first Christmas album, A Very Kacey Christmas.[5] It peaked at number 21 on the Billboard 200 and was also met with critical acclaim.[2][6]
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly in December 2017, Musgraves described Golden Hour as emerging from a transitional period in her personal life, reflecting on the end of her twenties and her marriage to fellow musician Ruston Kelly. Stating that she had to "feel [her] way through" the process, Musgraves also experimented with new stylistic directions; she described the album as having a "trippy" quality and cited influences such as the Bee Gees, Sade, and Neil Young. Much of the material was written during this period, with her relationship serving as a major source of inspiration.[7] Pieces of the album were recorded in a studio above a horse stable owned by musician Sheryl Crow.[8]
In a 2018 interview with Rolling Stone, Musgraves discussed being under the influence of LSD when composing the songs "Mother" and "Slow Burn" and how it helped her creative process: "I'm not going to tell anybody to run out and do anything that wouldn't be suitable for their mind or their lifestyle, but it did have positive effects for me."[9]
Composition
Music and lyrics
Mainly focusing on pop and country music,[10][11] Golden Hour incorporates elements of soft rock, country pop, and disco-influenced electronica, blending traditional and contemporary sounds.[12][13] Musgraves stated that the album features traditional sounds, influenced by pop.[14] AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine observed that it "doesn't scan country", instead incorporating influences such as yacht rock and disco, which broaden its stylistic scope beyond traditional country conventions.[15] Greg Kot of Chicago Tribune similarly noted that the album does not ignore Musgraves's original country roots, characterizing it as "a style-hopping pop album".[16] Several music critics also highlighted the presence of disco influences across the album;[note 1] The Guardian author Alexis Petridis found that Golden Hour incorporates elements of classic rock, hazy psychedelia, with a disco-influenced production.[18]
Golden Hour also features acoustic arrangements alongside synthesizers, pedal steels, and vocoders.[note 2] Critics highlighted its combination of traditional country elements with more contemporary production approaches, including Rolling Stone's Will Hermes highlighting its blend of Americana and "robot rock"[22] or Kot noting the integration of genre staples such as pedal steel and banjo within a broader stylistic framework.[16] Sam Sodomsky of Pitchfork also found that Musgraves moves beyond the "front-porch hum of country music", incorporating elements such as strings and vocoders.[20] In a review for Vice, Robert Christgau highlighted the use of piano to complement Musgraves's vocal delivery, noting the prominence of tracks such as "Slow Burn" and "Mother".[10]
Produced with Daniel Tashian and Ian Fitchuk, Golden Hour emphasizes a sense of lightness, with lyrical themes centered on nature, love, and the universe.[13] Its songs are largely centered on expressions of affection and romantic relationships.[23] Writing for Variety, Chris Willman observed a shift away from the small-town narratives that characterized Musgraves's earlier work, reflecting a broader change in her lyrical approach.[24] A review from Sputnikmusic also noted how the album reflects an awareness of happiness as a fleeting state, as expressed in songs such as "Happy & Sad".[25]
Songs
The opener "Slow Burn" features banjo instrumentation,[16] while "Lonely Weekend" incorporates Caribbean influences.[16] A love song "Butterflies" contains sounds of pop, disco, country, featuring vocoder sounds.[26][27] Its lyrics reference personal change and a sense of emotional freedom, using imagery such as a chrysalis, according to Elisabeth Woronzoff of PopMatters.[28] "Oh, What a World" and "Love Is a Wild Thing" are country pop songs,[29] while the former features significant vocoder sounds.[27][29] In between, a piano based song[20] "Mother" expresses intergenerational love.[30] Incorporating country pop sounds, "Space Cowboy" is about the end of a relationship. Writing for Woronzoff, the track is presented without a strongly melancholic tone.[28]
"Happy & Sad" explores conflicting emotions. It features lyrics in which the narrator expresses uncertainty about how to describe their feelings.[29] The ninth track, "Velvet Elvis" is a pop-influenced song which includes a prominent beat and incorporates piano in its arrangement, with limited country influence.[28] "High Horse", a disco and country song,[20] features western influences; Roisin O'Connor of The Independent compared it to a "Kylie Minogue circa 2001-level bop".[13] The album's title track, "Golden Hour" explores themes of romance and partnership,[30] incorporating elements of psychedelia and disco-house.[18] "Wonder Woman" addresses a partner's unrealistic expectations.[20] A closing track, "Rainbow" is a piano ballad.[16][30][29]
Release and promotion
Packaging
A title of Golden Hour was primarily inspired by Musgraves's husband Ruston Kelly.[31] Her sister, Kelly Christine Sutton, took the cover photo for the album over a two-day photo shoot in and around their hometown of Golden, Texas. She is also credited with designing the album's packaging. When considering the cover photo, Sutton recalled Musgraves "wanted to use this paper fan, and we are usually on the same page with ideas, but I couldn't picture it. We went out into this wide open field. We needed one with no trees, so there was sky only. Almost immediately after we reviewed the photos, we just knew we had it."[32] As noted by Taste of Country's Cillea Houghton, the cover artwork depicts Musgraves against a bright blue background, partially obscuring her face with a "decorative fan".[31]
The standard edition, comprising 13 tracks, was released by MCA Nashville on March 30, 2018, in CD, digital download, streaming, and vinyl LP formats.[33][34][35] The Japanese edition was released on July 4 by Universal Music Japan in CD format, featuring three bonus tracks: "Merry Go 'Round", "Follow Your Arrow", and Violents remix of "High Horse".[36]
Marketing
Musgraves announced her fourth studio album Golden Hour through Entertainment Weekly in December 2017,[7] sharing its detailed information on February 23, 2018.[37] In support of the album, Musgraves performed various televised performances, including The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,[38][39][40] The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,[41][42] Ellen DeGeneres Show,[43] Saturday Night Live,[44][45] The Late Late Show with James Corden,[46] and The Today Show.[47] She also made a live performance in CMA Awards.[48]
Musgraves first debuted a single "Butterflies" in March 2017 during a performance of A Prairie Home Companion.[49] On February 23, 2018, she released two lead singles "Space Cowboy" and "Butterflies",[50] which were available along with the album's pre-order.[37] Both tracks peaked numbers 32 and 30 on the US Hot Country Songs chart.[51] "High Horse" served as the album's first promotional single on March 22, which Musgraves premiered in New Zealand DJ Zane Lowe's program Beats 1 and co-wrote with singers Trent Dabbs and Thomas Schleiter.[52] The song was sent to Hot adult contemporary on June 25, becoming the album's third single.[53] It peaked at number 36 on the Hot Country Songs chart.[51] On February 11, 2019, MCA Nashville sent "Rainbow" to several radio stations. According to them, they already decided to impact the song on January 11 before the Grammy Awards performance.[54] It peaked at number 97 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 17 on the Hot Country Songs chart, respectively.[55][51]
Touring
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On March 10, 2018, Musgraves announced the Oh, What a World: Tour in support of the album, while performing at the Country to Country music festival in London. The first twelve dates of the tour were announced on March 12, through Musgraves stating on social media that tour dates in other countries would eventually be added. The tour began on October 13 in Oslo, Norway.[56][57] Its North American leg began on January 9, 2019 at Murat Theatre at Old National Centre in Indianapolis and concluded on March 21 at Alabama Theatre in Birmingham.[58][59] In February, Musgraves extended the tour, which began on August 24 in Paso Robles, California.[60] It was extended again in April to include four additional locations.[61] Writing for Stereogum, Chris DeVille highlighted the tour's setlist, acoustic interlude, genre-blending, and supporting acts, expressing anticipation for her next tour.[62]
Critical reception
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 8.1/10[63] |
| Metacritic | 89/100[64] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  [15] |
| Chicago Tribune |  [16] |
| Consequence | A−[30] |
| The Guardian | [18] |
| The Independent | [13] |
| Pitchfork | 8.7/10[20] |
| Rolling Stone | [22] |
| The Times | [12] |
| Uncut | 7/10[65] |
| Vice (Expert Witness) | B+[10] |
Golden Hour received rave reviews from music critics.[66] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has an average score of 89, based on 18 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[64]
Critics commented on the sound and stylistic direction of Golden Hour; reviews highlighted its blend of genres, incorporating elements of country, pop, and disco. Writing for Rolling Stone, Will Hermes noted its fusion of "Americana and robot rock",[22] while Alexis Petridis of The Guardian described it as an album aimed toward crossover appeal.[18] Other critics also observed its departure from traditional country conventions, with Roisin O'Connor of The Independent emphasizing its optimistic tone in contrast to contemporary pop trends.[13] Writing for Spin, Katherine St. Asaph highlighted the prominence of "High Horse" and its pop-leaning, disco-influenced sound.[67] Some reviewers noted reservations about this direction; Greg Kot of Chicago Tribune considered that certain tracks adhered more closely to mainstream country-pop,[16] while Rob Hughes of Uncut observed a shift toward a softer, more pop-oriented sound.[65]
Critics also discussed Golden Hour's songwriting and lyrical themes, highlighting its focus on romance, introspection, and emotional balance. Sam Sodomsky of Pitchfork characterized the album as an exploration of overwhelming emotion and inner equilibrium,[20] while Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic noted its directness and emphasis on melody.[15] Writing for Consequence, Kayleigh Hughes described the songs as centered on love and vulnerability, balancing celebratory and introspective moments.[30] Some critics, however, found this shift subdued compared to her earlier work; Robert Christgau of Vice considered its restrained tone a deliberate but limiting choice,[10] while Hughes noted a reduced emphasis on her previously prominent wit.[65]
Reviewers also evaluated the album in relation to Musgraves's career progression. Critics frequently described it as a departure from the sardonic storytelling of her earlier releases in favor of broader themes. Petridis wrote that it moved beyond consolidation into a more expansive and accessible statement,[18] while Will Hodgkinson of The Times highlighted her melodic sensibility and artistic identity within a space between pop, country, and rock.[12]
Accolades
At the 61st Annual Grammy Awards in 2019, Golden Hour won Album of the Year and Best Country Album. It became the sixth country album to win Album of the Year and the first country album since 2010 to win Album of the Year. Its songs, "Space Cowboy" and "Butterflies", won Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance, respectively.[68] The album also won Album of the Year at the 52nd CMA Awards,[69] 54th Academy of Country Music Awards,[70] and Apple Music Awards.[71] Additional nominations and wins included recognition at the CMT Music Awards and further honors from the CMA and ACM Awards, including Music Video of the Year for "Rainbow".[72][73][70]
Golden Hour was rated number one by the BBC poll of polls, a compilation of best-of-the-year lists across 35 music reviewers, on a list of the best albums of 2018.[74] It also placed number one in The Village Voice's Pazz & Jop critics' poll for 2018.[75] Golden Hour was included in numerous year-end lists by music publications, frequently ranking among the best albums of 2018. It placed first on lists by American Songwriter,[76] Entertainment Weekly,[77] People,[78] Sputnikmusic,[79] Stereogum,[80] and Taste of Country,[81] among others,[note 3] and appeared within the top ten of lists published by Associated Press,[83] Billboard,[84] Pitchfork,[85] Rolling Stone,[86] NPR Music,[87] PopMatters,[88] Time,[89] Uproxx,[90] and The Independent.[91] It also ranked in critics' aggregations such as Metacritic.[92] Golden Hour has also appeared on several decade-end and all-time lists; it was included among the best albums of the 2010s by publications including Billboard,[93][94] Rolling Stone,[95] Pitchfork,[96] and Paste,[97] and was later ranked on all-time lists such as Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and Apple Music's 100 Best Albums.[98][99]
| Association | Year | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| CMA Awards[69] | 2018 | Album of the Year | Won |
| Apple Music[71] | 2018 | Album of the Year | Won |
| Grammy Awards[68] | 2019 | Album of the Year | Won |
| Best Country Album | Won | ||
| ACM Awards[70] | 2019 | Album of the Year | Won |
| CMT Music Awards[72] | 2019 | Video of the Year (for "Rainbow") | Nominated |
| Female Video of the Year (for "Space Cowboy") | Nominated | ||
| CMA Awards[73] | 2019 | Song of the Year (for "Rainbow") | Nominated |
| Music Video of the Year (for "Rainbow") | Won | ||
| ACM Awards[70] | 2019 | Single of the Year (for "Rainbow") | Nominated |
| Publication | Rank | List |
|---|---|---|
| AllMusic | N/A | The Best Albums of 2018[100] |
| American Songwriter | 1 | Top 25 Albums of 2018[76] |
| Associated Press | 2 | Top 10 Albums of 2018[83] |
| Apple | 1 | The Best Album of 2018[101] |
| Billboard | 3 | The 50 Best Albums of 2018: Critics' Picks[84] |
| Complex | 36 | The 50 Best Albums of 2018[102] |
| Consequence of Sound | 9 | The 50 Best Albums of 2018[103] |
| Entertainment Weekly | 1 | The 20 Best Albums of 2018[77] |
| The Independent | 4 | The 40 Best Albums of 2018[91] |
| Metacritic | 6 |
Best Albums, By Year 2018[92] |
| Noisey | 2 | The 100 Best Albums of 2018[104] |
| NPR Music | 3 | The 50 Best Albums of 2018[87] |
| Paste | 44 | The 50 Best Albums of 2018[105] |
| People | 1 | Top 10 Albums of 2018[78] |
| Pitchfork | 2 | The 50 Best Albums of 2018[85] |
| PopMatters | 2 | The 70 Best Albums of 2018[88] |
| Rolling Stone | 2 | The 50 Best Albums of 2018[86] |
| Sputnikmusic | 1 | Top 50 Albums of 2018[79] |
| Stereogum | 1 | The 50 Best Albums of 2018[80] |
| Taste of Country | 1 | The 10 Best Country Albums of 2018[81] |
| Idolator | 3 | The 25 Best Albums Of 2018[106] |
| Time | 8 | The 10 Best Albums of 2018[89] |
| Uncut | 73 | The 75 Best Albums of 2018[107] |
| Uproxx | 2 | The 50 Best Albums of 2018[82] |
| 1 | Uproxx Music Critics Poll: Albums[90] | |
| The Village Voice | 1 | Pazz & Jop: The Top 100 Albums of 2018[75] |
| Vulture | 4 | The Best Albums of 2018[108] |
| Publication | Rank | List |
|---|---|---|
| The A.V. Club | 27 |
The 50 Best Albums of the 2010s[109] |
| Billboard | 6 |
The 100 Greatest Albums of the 2010s[93] |
3 |
The 25 Best Country Albums of the 2010s[94] | |
| Cleveland.com | 12 |
100 Greatest Albums of the 2010s[110] |
| Consequence | 85 |
The 100 Top Albums of the 2010s[111] |
| Paste | 9 |
The 100 Best Albums of the 2010s[97] |
| Pitchfork | 23 | The 200 Best Albums of the 2010s[96] |
| Rolling Stone | 11 | The 100 Best Albums of the 2010s[95] |
| 270 | The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time[98] | |
| Apple Music | 85 | 100 Best Albums[99] |
| Uproxx | 11 | The Best Albums of the 2010s[112] |
Commercial performance
Golden Hour debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200 and number one on the Top Country Albums chart, with 49,000 album-equivalent units and 39,000 of that figure being pure album sales in its first week.[2] It marked Musgraves's third number one on the US Top Country Albums chart.[1] The album also debuted at number one on the Americana/Folk Albums chart.[113] In the chart week following the 61st Grammy Awards, where the album won Album of the Year, it returned to the top ten, climbing to number nine on the chart, selling 35,000 copies.[114] In February 2019, Golden Hour has reached 310,000 in album-equivalent units sold.[115] On June 28, it was certified gold in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for combined sales and album-equivalent units of over 500,000 units.[116] As of February 2020, it has sold 735,000 units in the United States and was certified Platinum on May 7, 2021.[117]
In the United Kingdom, Golden Hour debuted at number six on the UK Albums Chart and number one on the UK Country Albums chart, marking Musgraves's first top ten album in the country.[118] Elsewhere, it reached the top 20 in countries including Canada and Norway,[119][120] and the top 30 in Australia and Ireland,[121][122] while also peaking within the top five of the Scottish Albums Chart.[123]
Track listing
All tracks were produced by Daniel Tashian, Ian Fitchuk, and Kacey Musgraves.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Slow Burn" | 4:06 | |
| 2. | "Lonely Weekend" |
| 3:46 |
| 3. | "Butterflies" |
| 3:39 |
| 4. | "Oh, What a World" |
| 4:01 |
| 5. | "Mother" |
| 1:18 |
| 6. | "Love Is a Wild Thing" |
| 4:16 |
| 7. | "Space Cowboy" |
| 3:36 |
| 8. | "Happy & Sad" |
| 4:03 |
| 9. | "Velvet Elvis" |
| 2:34 |
| 10. | "Wonder Woman" | 4:00 | |
| 11. | "High Horse" |
| 3:33 |
| 12. | "Golden Hour" |
| 3:18 |
| 13. | "Rainbow" |
| 3:34 |
| Total length: | 45:44 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14. | "Merry Go 'Round" |
| 3:28 |
| 15. | "Follow Your Arrow" |
| 3:21 |
| 16. | "High Horse" (Violents remix) |
| 3:43 |
| Total length: | 56:11 | ||
Credits and personnel
Credits were adapted from the liner notes.[124]
Locations
- Recording: Big Green Barn, Sound Emporium Studios, House of Blues Nashville, The Great Gazoo Reading Room, Royal Plum, The Library (strings)
- Mixing: Subtle McNugget Studios, Mixstar Studios, The Great Gazoo Reading Room
- Mastering: Sterling Sound NYC
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Instrumentation
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Technical
Artwork
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Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[144] | Platinum | 80,000‡ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[145] | Gold | 7,500‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[146] | Gold | 100,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[116] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Release history
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | March 30, 2018 | MCA Nashville | [33][34][35] | |
| Japan | July 4, 2018 | CD | Universal Music Japan | [36] |
Notes
- Attributed to Los Angeles Times,[17] The Guardian,[18] The Line of Best Fit,[19] and Pitchfork[20]