Bill Shakespeare's most famous play is often marveled at by many as the pinnacle of love -- what could be more romantic than someone killing themselves in solidarity with their soulmate? Well, I'd say "plenty," and this marveling leads me to believe not many have actually read through Romeo and Juliet. The intricacies of the titular couple's relationship are fraught with red flags. To idolize two very young, fictional adults who believe the only way to prove their true love is through suicide says more about the culture that holds them paramount than anything else.
And perhaps maybe this is why Kacey Musgraves relates to the play most recently. Her third studio album, Golden Hour, was unparalleled in 2018 following its release. It was nominated for a handful of Grammys and topped end-of-year lists (including mine). But most importantly, it was happy... something that Musgraves isn't always fond of showing in her music.
A significant portion of the album was written about her new husband, fellow country singer-songwriter Ruston Kelly. Lead single "Butterflies" explored a freed Kacey Musgraves, (mostly) loosened from the chains of existential depression by true love.
New album, star-crossed, is also about Kelly, but is a complete switch in subjects following the couple's sudden divorce in July of 2020. Where Golden Hour was filled with gooey love songs, star-crossed explores the days leading up to and following heartbreak.
Spread over fifteen tracks, it is the most that has been said about the separation besides "it didn't work." Although the events are truly none of her fanbase's business, the fact that Musgraves is so open, honest, and beautifully poetic about divorce is refreshing. The overexposure of social media often leaves celebrities to seek privacy in trying times, which makes cases like Musgraves all the more intriguing.
The commentary on the modern breakup is extremely prevalent in the album as well; Taking cues from Frank Ocean (see "Good Guy" or "Facebook Story") and The 1975 before her, on "camera roll," Musgraves explores how instantaneous access to memories shapes the lingering feelings of remorse blended with love. Later on "hookup scene," Musgraves delves into being a divorced, 30-something in the age of dating app culture, something molded into a cliché but rarely effectively examined as is done in star-crossed.
Sonically, it's what fans have come to expect from Musgraves' career -- call it the dark shadow of Golden Hour, as the album is executive-produced by Daniel Taishan and Ian Fitchuk, most notably known for their production credits on Golden Hour. She steps into disco-country territory on "there is a light," comfortable grounds leftover from previous songs like "High Horse."
But, when viewing the album through the lens of a Shakespearean tragedy, Musgraves' master plan becomes visible. Those familiar with the traditional format of Shakespeare plays will notice something similar occurring within star-crossed's tracklist and narrative arc. Each play was written in three acts, with five scenes per act totaling fifteen scenes altogether. star-crossed can be similarly shaped into this three-act format.
Act I runs from the album opener to "if this was a movie," exploring the initial departure of Musgraves' Golden Hour era. From "justified" to "easier said," the artist details the emotional fallout and coming to terms. And finally, from "hookup scene" to "gracias a la vida," the narrative closes on self-acceptance and spiritual resolution.
Instead of a couple falling in love and being met with tragedy, Musgraves begins her play with the tragedy, and follows the often disregarded fallout.
If that wasn't enough, Musgraves' visual accompaniment, star-crossed: the film, lends much of its influence to Romeo and Juliet. The film is highly entertaining and visually stunning, but possibly most crucial to the Shakespearean parallels is the final scene. Musgraves appears in a stunning red dress, similar to the one Claire Danes' Juliet wore in the party scene of Romeo + Juliet (1996) -- the title character's first meeting.
The impassioned scene is soundtracked by Musgraves' rendition of late Latinx singer, Violeta Parra's final song, "gracias a la vida." Not long after writing and composing the song, Parra committed suicide, and Musgraves describes the song as Parra's "suicide note to the world." In the scene, Musgraves belts her heart out, until the final notes, where she collapses backwards, her status left unknown.
One can't help but draw more connections to Juliet's choice to kill herself upon finding her beloved supposedly dead to that of Musgraves' sudden fainting.
When Golden Hour was released, I praised the album for its emotional honesty and vulnerability in the process of "falling in love." How many love songs are written a day? The answer scares me, but few have the ability to connect in the way songs like "Butterflies" did with its listeners. Similarly, star-crossed's emotional depth is unprecedented and allows listeners a window into the disintegration of a celebrity marriage. While lyrically specific, the final product lends itself to individual interpretation. Musgraves herself said that the recording of the album acted as a form of emotional therapy for herself, and will no doubt provide some reconciliation for heartbroken fans as well.
First person to comment the full runtime of Romeo + Juliet (1996) gets a COVID-social-distancing-friendly elbow shake from Dane :)
- Ritter
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