Middle of Nowhere (Kacey Musgraves album)

After the March 2024 release of her sixth studio album, Deeper Well, and its deluxe edition that August, She released several singles in 2025, including "Lost Highway" and "If the World Burns Down". Middle of Nowhere was created during what Musgraves described as the longest period of being single in her life; she said it felt "incredible being alone", and described herself as "existing in a space not defined by anyone else". Musgraves also expressed an interest in the concept of "liminal space, both geographical and emotional", explaining she became comfortable inhabiting transitional, undefined states and the "middle of nowhere" in many senses, and that she spent time between Texas, Tennessee, and Mexico. Musgraves worked on the album while single and "leaning into" herself, Writing and inspiration According to press release, Middle of Nowhere was "written during a period of reflection and post-breakup clarity". reuniting with Luke Laird, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne, and Brandy Clark, who contributed to her first major label albums, as well as American songwriters Daniel Tashian and Ian Fitchuk, who she began working with on her fourth studio album, Golden Hour (2018). American singers Willie Nelson, Miranda Lambert, and Billy Strings, and South African musician Gregory Alan Isakov are featured in the album; it marked Musgraves's third collaboration with Nelson, following "Are You Sure" and "A Willie Nice Christmas". Her collaboration with Lambert arose after she reached out to write about their shared experiences, during which they addressed lingering tensions related to "Mama's Broken Heart", a song she had co-written that was ultimately recorded by Lambert. Middle of Nowhere was partly inspired by Musgraves's experiences of solitude and self-definition. She stated that it "actually felt incredible being alone" and that she was "existing in a space not defined by anyone else", while she expressed an interest in the concept of "liminal space, both geographical and emotional". Musgraves also noted to Apple Music that the album differed from her usual approach to music-making, stating that she began writing while going through a breakup, during which she was reevaluating aspects of her personal life and spending more time alone. ==Artwork and title==

of Middle of Nowhere at Deep Ellum, Dallas (pictured). Middle of Nowheres cover artwork features Musgraves standing against a plain backdrop, wearing a felt Stetson, vintage Levi's, and a white tank top, with a spotted steer positioned behind her which her friend brought from his ranch. She stated that she found herself "being totally okay in this proverbial 'middle of nowhere, and elaborated that it could be "how you feel relationally or emotionally. It could be someone in between jobs. It can be between relationships or even geographically speaking." She felt drawn to the physical liminal places like airport terminals. ==Composition==

Middle of Nowhere is inspired by Musgraves's Texas upbringing, drawing on genres including Western swing; bluegrass; 1970s, 1980s, 1990s country; traditional Mexican music like norteño and mariachi; and zydeco. It features sounds of accordion, pedal steel, and dancehall rhythms of Texas—a "sonic love letter to the musical borders of country", according to press release. Critics noted its prominent pedal steel sound throughout the album; Steve Erickson of Slant Magazine believed that it often functions as a secondary melodic voice with restrained solos that emphasize its expressive tonal qualities. The song is set in time during the first verse, before shifting to time in the second verse. The former track presents a style of Garth Brooks story about a woman repeatedly returning to a partner who promises to change, while its chorus plays on internal rhyme. The closing track "Hell on Me" is arranged with minimal instrumentation, built around acoustic guitar and pedal steel alongside Musgraves's vocal. ==Promotion==

When a fan asked for details about the album on March 1, 2026, Musgraves replied four days later with a cow face emoji, echoing the cow imagery used in the promotional posters that soon began circulating online. That day, posters and billboards featuring an image of Musgraves with her back turned to the camera appeared in several major United States cities, including Nashville. The advertisements included the message "Dry Spell? Call for a Real Good Time." Calling the number displayed on the posters led to a recording that began with a three-tone sequence similar to the signal heard when a number is misdialed or out of service. On March 11, 2026, Musgraves announced Middle of Nowheres cover artwork, release date, and track list along with the lead single, "Dry Spell". The single's music video premiered the same day, directed by Hannah Lux Davis; it took place in a grocery store where Musgraves fantasized about one of the employees. During her set, she performed "Dry Spell" as the final song, debuting "Back on the Wagon", "Uncertain, TX", and the album's title track, released as the second single on April 17 ahead of her Coachella performance. She kept promoting her album prior to the release, singing "Mexico Honey" at London's Circuit and teasing "Rhinestoned" through her Instagram. On April 29, Spotify hosted an exclusive event for celebrating Middle of Nowheres release. "Loneliest Girl" will be released on May 4 to country radio, serving as the album's third single. Live performances and tour Musgraves is scheduled to perform at Gruene Hall with the Mariachi Brothers, a mariachi trio seeking asylum that were detained by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the Dilley detention camp, for three nights in May to support the album. For the further promotion, Musgraves announced the Middle of Nowhere Tour on April 29. It will begin at United Center in Chicago on August 21, her 38th birthday, concluding at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle on October 27. Various musicians served as the tour's opening act: Midland, Flatland Cavalry, Carter Faith, Estevie, Charles Wesley Godwin, William Beckmann, Gabriella Rose, and the Brudi Brothers. ==Critical reception==

On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized score out of 100 to ratings from professional publications, Middle of Nowhere received a weighted mean score of 83, based on 13 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". Similarly, Cordelia Lam of NME identified a central sense of chosen solitude, and emphasized its portrayal of independence rather than loneliness. Several reviewers focused on Middle of Nowheres musical direction and genre blending. Writing for Riff Magazine, Pipe Westrom noted that she "turns inward" on the album while also expanding her sound. He highlighted its incorporation of influences from Texas and northern Mexico, and wrote that Musgraves balances humor with plainspoken lyricism while continuing to develop her musical style. Ljubinko Zivkovic of Beats Per Minute observed that while it appears rooted in traditional country elements, it instead integrates those elements into a broader stylistic framework. The New York Times author Lindsay Zoladz likewise viewed it as a return to form, and described it as Musgraves's strongest work since Golden Hour. She contrasted its more grounded tone with the relative serenity of Deeper Well, and interpreted the record as a meditation on the distinction between loneliness and solitude rather than a conventional breakup album. The album's production and instrumentation were frequently discussed, particularly its use of regional styles. Steve Erickson of Slant Magazine observed a "palpable melancholy" in its arrangements; Erickson noted their connection to the settings described in the lyrics and pointing to the incorporation of Mexican norteño influences. Billboards Melinda Newman thought "Coyote" as its best track, and described it as "gorgeous and poignant". In the same review, Jessica Nicholson ranked "Abilene" the lowest, writing: "Musgraves'[s] haunting voice makes the song even more enchanting." ==Track listing==

• Musgraves • Luke Laird • Shane McAnally • Josh Osborne }} • Musgraves • Tashian • Fitchuk }} • Musgraves • Laird • McAnally }} • Musgraves • Laird • McAnally }} • Musgraves • Tashian • Fitchuk • Rick Nowels }} • Musgraves • Laird • McAnally • Osborne }} • Musgraves • Tashian • Fitchuk }} • Musgraves • McAnally • Miranda Lambert }} • Musgraves • Tashian }} • Musgraves • Tashian • Fitchuk • Scotty Emerick }} • Musgraves • Laird • Steph Jones }} • Musgraves • Laird • McAnally • Jones }} }} ==Personnel==

Credits are adapted from Tidal. Musicians • Kacey Musgraves – vocals (all tracks), acoustic guitar (tracks 5, 9) • Daniel Tashian – bass (1–4, 7), background vocals (1, 4–6, 11), acoustic guitar (1, 6, 8–11), electric guitar (2–4, 8–12), nylon-string guitar (2); percussion, piano (4); banjo, keyboards (5); slide guitar (6); lap steel guitar, shaker, tambourine (8); cowbell (9); 12-string acoustic guitar, drum machine (10); celesta, Rhodes (11); upright bass (12) • Ian Fitchuk – drums (1–5, 7, 8, 10–12), acoustic guitar (1, 2, 6, 8), percussion (2, 7, 10, 11), congas (4, 12), bass (5, 6, 8, 10–12), guitar (5), keyboards (7, 12), accordion (10) • Dan Dugmore – pedal steel guitar (1) • Todd Lombardo – guitar (2, 6, 7, 12), acoustic guitar (4, 5, 7, 9–11, 13), banjo (4, 7), nylon-string guitar (9), 12-string acoustic guitar (11), mandolin (12) • Luke Laird – electric guitar (2, 12), nylon-string guitar (2), guitar (7), acoustic guitar (12) • Paul Franklin – pedal steel guitar (3, 4, 7, 9, 11, 13) • Dennis Crouch – bass (3) • Gregory Alan Isakov – background vocals (6) • Shawn Everett – harmonica (6) • Justin Schipper – pedal steel guitar (7) • Billy Strings – vocals, guitar (8) • Fred Eltringham – drums, percussion (9) • Rob Burger – accordion (9) • Miranda Lambert – vocals (9) • Willie Nelson – vocals, guitar (10) • Steph Jones – background vocals (12) • Russ Pahl – pedal steel guitar (12) Technical • Kacey Musgraves – production • Daniel Tashian – production • Ian Fitchuk – production (1–8, 10–13) • Luke Laird – production (2, 7), additional engineering (2), engineering assistance (12) • Konrad Snyder – mixing (5, 6, 9, 10, 13), engineering (1–8, 10–13) • Bryce Bordone – engineering (1–4, 7, 8, 11, 12) • Mike Stankiewicz – engineering (9) • Shani Ghandi – engineering (9) • Joanna Finley – additional engineering (7), engineering assistance (2) • David Paulin – engineering assistance (1–8, 10–13) • Phillip Smith – engineering assistance (8) • Grant Morgan – engineering assistance (9) • Velvet Cash – engineering assistance (9) • Serban Ghenea – mixing (1–4, 7, 8, 11, 12) • Adam Grover – mastering • Todd Lombardo – digital editing (1) ==Release history==