Golden Hour (Kacey Musgraves album)

and A Very Kacey Christmas, Musgraves (pictured in 2016) started to work on her fourth studio album, Golden Hour''.|alt= 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. A year later, Musgraves released her first Christmas album, A Very Kacey Christmas. It peaked at number 21 on the Billboard 200 and was also met with critical acclaim. 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. 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." ==Composition==

Music and lyrics Mainly focusing on pop and country music, Golden Hour incorporates elements of soft rock, country pop, and disco-influenced electronica, blending traditional and contemporary sounds. 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. 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. 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". Songs The opener "Slow Burn" features banjo instrumentation, while the former features significant vocoder sounds. "Happy & Sad" explores conflicting emotions. It features lyrics in which the narrator expresses uncertainty about how to describe their feelings. 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. "High Horse", a disco and country song, features western influences; Roisin O'Connor of The Independent compared it to a "Kylie Minogue circa 2001-level bop". The album's title track, "Golden Hour" explores themes of romance and partnership, incorporating elements of psychedelia and disco-house. "Wonder Woman" addresses a partner's unrealistic expectations. A closing track, "Rainbow" is a piano ballad. ==Release and promotion==

Packaging A title of Golden Hour was primarily inspired by Musgraves's husband Ruston Kelly. 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." As noted by Taste of Countrys Cillea Houghton, the cover artwork depicts Musgraves against a bright blue background, partially obscuring her face with a "decorative fan". sharing its detailed information on February 23, 2018. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Ellen DeGeneres Show, Saturday Night Live, The Late Late Show with James Corden, and The Today Show. She also made a live performance in CMA Awards. Musgraves first debuted a single "Butterflies" in March 2017 during a performance of A Prairie Home Companion. On February 23, 2018, she released two lead singles "Space Cowboy" and "Butterflies", which were available along with the album's pre-order. Both tracks peaked numbers 32 and 30 on the US Hot Country Songs chart. "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. The song was sent to Hot adult contemporary on June 25, becoming the album's third single. It peaked at number 36 on the Hot Country Songs chart. It peaked at number 97 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 17 on the Hot Country Songs chart, respectively. 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. In February, Musgraves extended the tour, which began on August 24 in Paso Robles, California. It was extended again in April to include four additional locations. Writing for Stereogum, Chris DeVille highlighted the tour's setlist, acoustic interlude, genre-blending, and supporting acts, expressing anticipation for her next tour. ==Critical reception==

Golden Hour received rave reviews from music critics. 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". Some reviewers noted reservations about this direction; Greg Kot of Chicago Tribune considered that certain tracks adhered more closely to mainstream country-pop, while Rob Hughes of Uncut observed a shift toward a softer, more pop-oriented sound. Critics also discussed Golden Hours 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, while Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic noted its directness and emphasis on melody. Writing for Consequence, Kayleigh Hughes described the songs as centered on love and vulnerability, balancing celebratory and introspective moments. 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, while Hughes noted a reduced emphasis on her previously prominent wit. 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, while Will Hodgkinson of The Times highlighted her melodic sensibility and artistic identity within a space between pop, country, and rock. ==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. It also placed number one in The Village Voices Pazz & Jop critics' poll for 2018. 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, Entertainment Weekly, People, Sputnikmusic, Stereogum, and Taste of Country, among others, and appeared within the top ten of lists published by Associated Press, Billboard, Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, NPR Music, PopMatters, Time, Uproxx, and The Independent. It also ranked in critics' aggregations such as Metacritic. 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, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, and Paste, and was later ranked on all-time lists such as Rolling Stones 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and Apple Music's 100 Best Albums. ==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. 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. In February 2019, Golden Hour has reached 310,000 in album-equivalent units sold. 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. 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. Elsewhere, it reached the top 20 in countries including Canada and Norway, and the top 30 in Australia and Ireland, while also peaking within the top five of the Scottish Albums Chart. ==Track listing==

All tracks were produced by Daniel Tashian, Ian Fitchuk, and Kacey Musgraves. ==Credits and personnel==

Credits were adapted from the liner notes. 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 Instrumentation • Daniel Tashian – songwriting (1, 2, 4–6, 8, 12), keyboards (1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 11), bass guitar (1, 3, 7, 10, 12), background vocals (1, 2, 4, 6–9, 12), Fender Stratocaster (2, 8, 9), electric guitar (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11), baritone guitar (solo on 3, 12), acoustic guitar (4, 6, 7, 11), celeste (6), banjo (6), electric mandolin (8), programming (8), vibraphone (9), MIDI strings (9), classical guitar (9), Elektron sampler (10), Rhodes (10) • Todd Lombardo – acoustic guitar (1–4, 6–12), electric guitar (1, 3, 6, 8, 11, 12), banjo (1, 3, 11), high strung acoustic guitar (2), baritone guitar (8, 12), slide guitar (8), classical guitar (9, 11) • Ian Fitchuk – songwriting (1, 2, 4–6, 8, 12), drums (1–4, 6–12), keyboards (1, 2, 4, 6–8, 10, 11), percussion (2, 4, 6–11), bass guitar (2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11), Roland Juno-60 (3, 12), piano (3, 5, 7, 8, 10–13), programming (4, 8), vocoder (4), banjo (4), background vocals (4), Wurlitzer (8), electric guitar (9, 11), synth bass (10, 11) • David Davidson – violin (1, 8, 11), viola (1, 8, 11) • Carole Rabinowitz – cello (1, 8, 11) • Kacey Musgraves – songwriting (1–13), lead vocals (1–13), acoustic guitar (3, 9, 12) • Russ Pahl – pedal steel guitar (3, 8, 12) • Justin Schipper – pedal steel guitar (4) • Dan Dugmore – pedal steel guitar (6, 7) • Shawn Everett – "dolphin magic" (8) • Kyle Ryan – electric guitar (9) • Luke Laird – songwriting (3, 7) • Natalie Hemby – songwriting (3, 9, 13) • Shane McAnally – songwriting (7, 13) • Luke Dick – songwriting (9) • Jesse Frasure – songwriting (10) • Hillary Lindsey – songwriting (10) • Amy Wadge – songwriting (10) • Tommy Schleiter – songwriting (11) • Trent Dabbs – songwriting (11) Technical • Craig Alvin – recording, mixing (5, 13) • Alberto Vaz – recording assistance • Zack Pancoast – recording assistance • Shawn Everett – mixing (1, 2, 4, 6–10, 12) • Ivan Wayman – mixing assistance (1, 2, 4, 6–10, 12) • Serban Ghenea – mixing (3, 11) • John Hanes – engineering for mix (3, 11) • Gena Johnson – production coordination • Bobby Shin – strings recording • Jordan Lehning – editing • Greg Calbi – mastering • Steve Fallone – mastering Artwork • Kelly Christine Sutton – art direction, photography, design • Kacey Musgraves – art direction ==Charts==

Weekly charts Year-end charts ==Certifications==