By: Sadie Christine
Kacey is an artist that we absolutely love. From radio hits like “High Horse,” “Follow Your Arrow,” “Rainbow,” “I Remember Everything” with Zach Bryan, and “Call Her Back” with Noah Kahan, Kacey has consistently demonstrated her artistry and ability to create and release beautiful music throughout her career, and these songs only scratch the surface of her incredible discography.
Across her six studio albums, Kacey has released lyrically complex and deeply authentic songs that perfectly capture the seasons of life she’s in at the time.
Kacey is undoubtedly one of the most notable artists in country music, but we believe her work deserves even more recognition, as she has continuously delivered such beautiful, timeless songs. In this article, we’ll be walking you through our favourite Kacey Musgraves hidden gems from each album that you need to know.
Same Trailer Different park
Merry Go ’Round: A reflective track about feeling stuck in the same routine across different areas of life. The “merry-go-round” serves as a metaphor for the cycle that keeps spinning, even when people feel unfulfilled or unable to break free.
Silver Lining: This song reminds listeners that to find a “silver lining,” you sometimes have to go through difficult experiences first, and the kind that make you appreciate the good when it finally comes.
Dandelion: One of Kacey’s most delicate and emotional songs. It uses the imagery of a dandelion blowing in the wind to capture the fragility of love and the bittersweet nature of wishful thinking.
I Miss You: A heartfelt song about the ache of missing someone even as you try to move on, especially when you see that they already have.
Keep It to Yourself: This song speaks to the moment when an ex wants to rekindle things, but you’ve healed and don’t want to reopen old wounds. As Kacey sings, “Keep it to yourself if you think that you still love me.”
It Is What It Is: A song about seeking temporary comfort while coming to terms with a situation you can’t change. It perfectly captures that grey area between heartbreak and healing.
Back on the Map: This track explores the idea of finding yourself again after feeling lost, whether in love or in life. The “map” becomes a metaphor for rediscovering direction, purpose, and the courage to start again.
My House: A warm, heartfelt song that celebrates the idea that home isn’t a place, it’s wherever you are with the person you love.
Pageant Material
Late to the Party: Kacey sings about not caring if she’s “late to the party,” because being with the person she loves is enough. She doesn’t need to be surrounded by anyone else because she’s already where she wants to be.
This Town: A witty and relatable take on small-town life, filled with gossip, quirks, and the familiar faces that make up the community.
Family Is Family: A playful yet heartfelt song about how family can drive you crazy sometimes, but no matter what, you still love them.
Fine: This song explores the emotional mask people wear when they say “I’m fine,” even when they’re really hurting or missing someone deeply.
Cup of Tea: A comforting reminder to keep being yourself, because not everyone will like you, and that’s okay. They’re simply not your “cup of tea.”
Christmas Makes You Cry: An original song from Kacey’s A Very Kacey Christmas album, released the same year as Pageant Material, so we’re counting it as part of this era. It’s a beautiful, melancholic track that captures the quiet heaviness the holiday season can bring for many people.
Golden Hour
Happy & Sad: Kacey captures the strange, bittersweet feeling of being happy and sad at the same time. It’s about being vulnerable enough to embrace joy, even while being afraid of the end.
Slow Burn: A beautifully introspective song about moving through life at your own pace, and resisting the pressure to rush into success, love, or identity. It celebrates valuing the process over the result, and finding beauty in the gradual unfolding of things.
Oh, What a World: This song feels like falling in love while also being in awe of how vast and magical the world is. It blends romantic love with cosmic wonder, creating a dreamy, transcendent feeling.
Mother: A short but powerful reflection on missing her mom while being far from home. It also doubles as a meditation on empathy, connection, and how love ripples through generations.
Space Cowboy: A graceful, bittersweet track about letting go of someone and accepting the outcome without anger or resentment, choosing peace instead of resistance.
Love Is a Wild Thing: This song explores how love can’t be forced; it blooms naturally, wild and free, filled with beauty, unpredictability, and wonder.
Velvet Elvis: A playful, romantic song about loving someone who’s genuine, a little quirky, and perfect in their own way, and feeling so lucky to have them.
Wonder Woman: A tender and self-aware song that rejects the idea of needing to be perfect in a relationship. It’s about loving and being loved as real people, not ideals.
Star-Crossed
Star-Crossed: The title track opens the album and sets the emotional stage. It’s Kacey’s way of framing the breakup not as a failure, but as a part of human fate and a reminder that sometimes love burns out, even when it’s real.
Good Wife: This song reveals the internal struggle of trying to live up to the role of the “perfect” partner. She’s praying to be what she thinks her husband needs, but the cracks are already showing beneath the surface.
Angel: “Angel” continues the emotional thread of Good Wife but turns it inward. Instead of trying to fix the relationship, Kacey questions whether the problem might be herself and ultimately accepts that no one is perfect and that being human means being flawed.
Camera Roll: A painfully relatable song about how modern memories live on our phones. With just a scroll, you can revisit the past, but sometimes it hurts too much to look back.
Hookup Scene: A raw reflection on longing and the search for connection after love has faded. It’s about trying to find that same spark again, even when you know it may never feel quite the same.
Deeper Well
Too Good to Be True: A gentle, vulnerable song about being so in love that you can’t help but hope it lasts and that it isn’t “too good to be true.”
Moving Out: A reflective track about changing seasons, both in life and love, and the bittersweet sadness that comes with seeing a chapter come to an end.
Giver / Taker: A heartfelt confession about wanting to love someone deeply, if only they would allow you to. It captures the push and pull between emotional generosity and self-protection.
Sway: A meditative moment where Kacey questions whether she’ll ever learn to truly relax and go with the flow, to simply “sway” with life instead of trying to control it.
Dinner with Friends: A warm, nostalgic song about cherishing the moments we spend with the people who make us feel most like ourselves, whether it’s romantic love or deep friendship.
Lonely Millionaire: A reminder that wealth means nothing without connection. What’s the point of having everything if there’s no one to share it with?
Irish Goodbye: Uses the phrase “Irish goodbye” as a metaphor for a partner who disappears from a relationship without explanation or closure.
Anime Eyes: A dreamy, romantic track about loving someone so much that you see them through a blend of reality and fantasy, through “anime eyes,” where everything feels heightened and magical.
We hope this list helped you discover a new favourite Kacey Musgraves track to add to your playlist! What’s your favourite Kacey Musgraves song? Let us know on socials!
Stay Wild, Stay Sparkly, Stay Country
