Kacey Musgraves Goes Back to Country Roots With a Witty, Guest-Filled Return

Kacey Musgraves’ Middle of Nowhere returns to traditional country textures with a guest-heavy lineup (Billy Strings, Miranda Lambert, Willie Nelson) and a Texas-inspired thread. The album blends pedal steel, Tex-Mex touches, and ’70s rock as it surveys country subgenres, anchored by tracks like Dry Spell, Abilene, Everybody Wants to Be a Cowboy, and Rhinestoned. Musgraves sings mostly in a lower, more resigned register as she explores independence and imperfect romance, delivering a witty, cohesive, and confident pivot from Deeper Well and Golden Hour.