Ranking All the Songs on Kacey Musgraves’ New Album

Middle of Nowhere Album Cover courtesy of Lost Highway records

This month Kacey Musgraves added a seventh component to her long list of studio albums. Not even two weeks after its release, her new album is already drawing a lot of attention from the country music community and beyond. Middle of Nowhere, released May 1, gives listeners a collection of 13 songs that explore Musgraves’ growth through independence and escape. If you haven’t yet heard these tracks, then your new homework is to dedicate 44 minutes of your week to giving them a listen. After experiencing the album in its entirety, here is a ranking of the songs one by one, so feel free to read below as you listen!

13. Coyote (feat. Gregory Alan Isakov)

This song explores the feeling of getting close to someone who can’t return the same commitment. Gregory Alan Isakov and Musgraves brilliantly use the metaphor of a coyote: a wild, restless, solitary animal. Isakov chimes in on the second verse and chorus, creating an echo effect with Musgraves singing the lead. The dreamy sound of the track beautifully captures the mix of longing with understanding.

12. Rhinestoned

“Rhinestoned” is about smoking to forget about your sadness when going through a heartbreak. The blissful, catchy tune of Musgraves’ chorus along with her clever play on words — “let’s get a little rhinestoned” — really conveys her playful means of using weed as an escape from reality, even if just for a couple hours.

11. Mexico Honey

This track is about being so into someone that it’s like they’re intoxicating you: “You’re going down smooth like Mexico honey.” The relaxed groove of the song, as well as its subtle Latin influences, captures the honeymoon stage of a relationship, when you’re willing to give and do anything for each other, and you want it to last forever: “We’re gonna ride this wave ‘til it breaks.”

10. Back On The Wagon

“Back On The Wagon” tells the age-old tale of trying so hard to believe that someone who hurt you has changed for the better. It’s about recognizing that trusting this person again is risky, but also not being able to resist them. Musgraves totally nails the comical aspect of it, as she sings about stubbornly ignoring the red flags that wave so obviously to everybody else.

9. Middle of Nowhere

“Middle of Nowhere” is your ultimate I NEED SOME ALONE TIME song. Musgraves’ lyrics describe her desire for peace and simplicity as a break from stressful people and stressful situations. Since this song’s title is also the name of the album, it makes sense that “Middle of Nowhere” emphasizes the themes of independence and escape that show up across several of the other tracks as well.

8. Hell On Me 

This song is a reflection on a past relationship where Musgraves pieces together her conclusion that both she and the other person are at fault for how things ended. The slow, acoustic nature of the sound beautifully matches her experience of taking a step back and acknowledging what she went through in the relationship, and how it changed her.

7. Everybody Wants To Be A Cowboy (feat. Billy Strings) 

This catchy collab with Billy Strings is a criticism of modern romanticizing of the cowboy/cowgirl lifestyle. Musgraves and Strings note that there are two sides to the coin: being a cowboy/cowgirl is about independence but also about hard work and commitment, and most people just aren’t cut out for it: “Everybody wants to be a cowboy these days / Until it’s time to stay.”

Photo by Nina Munoz for Variety as posted by Kacey Musgraves via Instagram

6. Loneliest Girl 

“Loneliest Girl” is one of the more mature tracks on the album in terms of lyrics. At first glance of the title, you might predict it’s a sad track about feeling by yourself, but Musgraves takes an unexpected spin on the experience. Her lyrics convey her perspective that being away from others can take a lot of weight off her shoulders and she’s really learned to appreciate the freedom and peace that comes with being alone: “I’m happy to be / The loneliest girl in the world.”

5. I Believe In Ghosts 

“I Believe In Ghosts” describes the struggle of not being able to let go of someone after they leave. Musgraves uses spooky phrases (“Just a whisper of smoke,” “Turn on the light, it’s just an apparition”) to illustrate feelings of deja vu and memories so vivid they seem like reality. Her soft vocals over the track’s guitar add beautifully to the haunting tone and message of the song.

4. Horses and Divorces (feat. Miranda Lambert) 

Musgraves and Miranda Lambert voice a wholesome conclusion between two characters who have a history of conflict. The chorus of the song is all about the two finding common ground (“Maybe we’re more alike than we think”) and finally learning to respect each other. “Horses and Divorces” stands out among the other collaborated tracks on the album because Lambert and Musgraves’ voices are used both independently and simultaneously throughout the song, really adding to the sense of conversation and agreement between the two characters.

3. Uncertain, TX (feat. Willie Nelson) 

To Musgraves, “Uncertain, TX” is not just a Lone Star State city, but also a state of mind. The song takes listeners on Musgraves’ journey of frustration and confusion when dealing with guys who can’t make up their mind about what they want. Willie Nelson’s distinct vocals come out strong underneath Musgraves’ in the chorus and add a warm, comforting tone to the piece.

2. Abilene 

“Abilene” tells the story of a girl who finally leaves her small hometown, desperately seeking escape. The music has almost a spooky tone to it, which makes it seem like this girl’s story is a folk tale or legend known throughout Abilene, and Musgraves is simply retelling it for the rest of listeners. At the end of the song, Musgraves reflects on how hard it is to leave the place where you grew up.

1. Dry Spell 

Now this is definitely one of the most talked-about songs on the album, so it makes sense that it’s first on this list. This song definitely nails the album’s central theme of loneliness, as Musgraves describes how it’s been a long, long time (335 days specifically) since she’s been with anyone. The drawn-out end of the chorus — “Y’all I’m going through a dry spell” — followed by a catchy guitar melody, is bound to get stuck in your head and has already become a huge hit for listeners everywhere. So, if you haven’t run to listen to this track yet, you’re falling behind!