Kacey Musgraves & ‘Follow Your Arrow’ Could Revolutionize Country
It’s time to ratchet up the rhetoric on this Kacey Musgraves girl. Yet again.
Earlier this week she caused quite a buzz (no pun intended) when she played a song called “Follow Your Arrow” at the Ryman Auditorium as part of the week-long Country Radio Seminar in Nashville. The song builds from the subversive, somewhat racy talk (at least for mainstream country) of Kacey’s big hit “Merry Go ‘Round.” The subject matter of “Follow Your Arrow” touches on smoking joints and girls kissing girls, and stimulated a discussion about what would happen if it was released to country radio.
That discussion seems a little presumptive since “Follow Your Arrow” has not been offered as a new single from her upcoming album yet, nor has it been rumored to be. Instead the song has been released for pre-sale ahead of her March 19th album release, meaning her label may be hoping it takes on its own life. But one of the reasons “Follow Your Arrow” is so intriguing to people beyond the song’s content is because it’s just so good.
My main issue is with the song is not the content. It’s that in many ways it’s a very close cousin to “Merry Go ‘Round.” It works very similar. It relies somewhat on the same shock value, and it has some of the same elements of judgmentalism and immaturity. But overall, “Follow Your Arrow” might even be better than “Merry Go ‘Round”–better written, and even more sonically appealing. My second issue would be if it is appropriate for country radio. I’m no prude, I regularly push music with adult content, but not necessarily for the public airwaves. For all of country radio’s awful trappings, at least it offers an alternative to the filth that predominates Top 40 and hip-hop stations, specifically the use of sexually-charged language and pot references as nearly a requirement for airplay on those formats.
One side note about “Follow Your Arrow” is that if Kacey Musgraves gets known as a pot smoking artist, her commercial value could skyrocket. Nothing is better for marketing music than marijuana. Bored, pot smoking suburban boys (the old PS2 pot head demographic) are definitely one of the reasons behind the big commercial success of Eric Church, bolstered by his pot hit “Smoke A Little Smoke.” Pot is also a big player behind the continued cultural relevance of Willie Nelson. If Kacey Musgraves finds herself in this same niche, she could inflict serious commercial damage on American consumers.
But aside from if “Follow Your Arrow” should become a radio single or if we’ll see Kacey Musgraves pot merch at her upcoming concerts, the impact a springboarding of Kacey’s career could have in regards to the opening up of new content, themes, styles, and influences in mainstream country could be down right revolutionary. We tend to want to draw comparisons to country music’s past in moments like this and maybe that’s a little too romantic of a notion, but you can’t help but to build comparisons to Kris Kristofferson’s “Sunday Morning Coming Down” and Bobby Bare/Tompall Glaser’s “Streets of Baltimore” and how they opened up a completely new direction for country and helped usher in country’s Outlaw era.
Yes, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. And to tell you the truth, I’m just as intrigued by many of the more subtle singer/songwriter offerings from Kacey’s upcoming album as I am “Follow Your Arrow.” But I’d be lying if I said I’m not becoming very engrossed in the idea of Kacey Musgraves getting big, and very big, and doing it with fresh, new, exciting, substantive material that could shake up the current stagnant climate of country radio and the mainstream in general.
All the dominoes seem to be aligned for Kacey: an already-proven hit single, an upcoming album with lots of buzz, a big tour on the way with Kenny Chesney. And what’s even more interesting is that Kacey is doing all of this while circumventing the rookie league of the independent country world, or the minor leagues of Americana, with content that’s really traditionally suited better for those avenues. She has an ACM nomination for Female Vocalist of the Year, and she’s on the fast track to becoming a big country music franchise.
Kacey Musgraves could very well revolutionize country music.
March 1, 2013 @ 11:16 am
Trigger,
I’ve always been curious why you considered Streets of Baltimore the first outlaw country song? I think it’s a great song, but it was produced by Chet Atkins and it’s filled choruses and strings seem like it was a great song that Nashville producers turned into a good song.
I think Parson’s version is great, and when Bare played it without the production, it was great here are two good versions
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61lFRCatRyE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9Y0qHgpNRs
It can be interpreted to be an allusion to prostitution, but I think it is vague enough that this does not seem that shocking by 1966 standards.
Am I missing something? (Not asking that rhetorically, I’m thinking there may be some controversy at the time that I don’t know about.)
March 1, 2013 @ 11:45 am
I wasn’t alive when “Streets Of Baltimore” was released, so those opinions come from numerous other sources that seem to build consensus behind the idea that the song created some controversy and allowed for the opening up of themes in country music. I agree the theme is very subtle, but all indications is that it stirred some controversy at the time.
And for the record, I’m not necessarily saying it was the first Outlaw song of all time. Though I do think it is important to understand the Outlaw movement started on two fronts: the opening up on new themes and subject matter in lyricism, and the taking control of the music by artists. Bobby Bare was at the very beginning of both of these trends.
March 1, 2013 @ 12:26 pm
Can’t wait for her album!
March 1, 2013 @ 1:49 pm
Triggerman said: “Kacey Musgraves could very well revolutionize country music.” Hell, I’d be happy if she could just earn a decent living at it!
Now if only Kacey could tap into the screeching Taylor Swift teeny bopper fanbase or the legions of Carrie Underwood’s brain dead pop culture fans, she’d have it made! Fortunately she does appeal to the Miranda Lambert audience and hopefully that will be enough to sustain her career in the Top 40 country arena for awhile.
March 1, 2013 @ 2:04 pm
“Kacey Musgraves could very well revolutionize country music.”
Is that really the hope you get from this song? I understand the part of the post that talks about opening up country music content and thematically wise but, to me, this is still a poorly written song, complete with bad puns and word play, like most of the other songs I hear the few times I’m exposed to “Today’s Country”. “If you don’t save yourself for marriage they say you’re a horr……….ible person”. Really? That counts as good writing now a days?
And to compare it to Sunday Morning Coming Down and, to a lesser extent, Streets of Baltimore is a bit of a disservice to those two songs, in my opinion. Both of those use use lyrics as imagery in a way that just puts them in a completely different universe than this song. I think the aim of the content could be applauded and I’d love to hear a song about hypocrisy (especially towards women) and being comfortable with who you are written by someone who didn’t feel the need to dumb it down for the audience.
I usually will check this website for things that are normally in the Turnpike Troubadours or Hellbound Glory vein and, in all honesty, I’m not exactly sure what made me feel the need to offer my 2 cents on this post but, if this is the type of stuff that will revolutionize country music, I don’t see how that really bodes well.
March 1, 2013 @ 2:13 pm
I also said it was very similar to “Merry Go ‘Round” and had elements of immaturity and judgementalism. I agree the song has some drawbacks, and I am not making a direct comparison to it and the other songs from a quality standpoint, I’m simply saying it could have a similar impact on how it opens up new subject matter. Maybe I should have been more clear on that point.
March 1, 2013 @ 2:22 pm
Fair enough. I probably jumped a the gun a bit with the mention of Sunday Morning just because it’s one of my favorite songs, from a lyrical standpoint, ever. I just have never understood why modern country artists attempt to make everything seems so silly and “wink, wink” aren’t we clever with our word play. 99 times out of 100 it seems to come off as just dumb.
Anyway, I do really enjoy this site and have found a few of my favorite bands from some of your year end best of lists over the years so I hope my post didn’t come off as critical of you.
March 1, 2013 @ 9:59 pm
Hey Matt, I want my commenters to be critical of me, and hold me to the same standards I hold the artists. It keeps me on my toes, and conflict can breed understanding as long as it is done with respect. Even though this wasn’t really a conflict.
As for things being so silly and “wink wink,” this isn’t just country music. Irony, sarcasm, and innuendo are really popular right now throughout culture, from music to fashion to behavoir. This is what much of the hipster movement is based on. I enjoy sarcasm just as much as anybody, but we reached the saturation point a while back. Generations will look back at this period and laugh at our obsession with irony and innuendo.
Speaking of, when Tim McGraw says “Truck Yeah” (implying the ‘F’ word), why is this any better than anything Kasey Musgraves says? Everybody knows what Tim McGraw means.
March 2, 2013 @ 5:31 am
Compared to Tim McGraw, this hound lady is actually a song writing genius.
March 1, 2013 @ 2:23 pm
“stimulated a discussion about what would happen if it was released to country radio.”
I can think of a few possible options……but they all keep coming back to the same basic principle, which would of course be an Armageddon / Apocalypse Scenario. Lots of fire. Explosion. More Fire. Explosion. Bigger Fire. Alien Invasion. Etc.
I know it’s two different animals, but whenever I hear about a musician/artist being controversial all I can think about are the mainstream rap / hip hop songs (that are actually played on the radio). It’s all about drugs/money/hoes/etc and so many of them are pretty graphic / controversial topics, but it dominates the airwaves!
I was recently reading about the narco-corridos that basically glorify drug trafficking / cartel life, and couldn’t help but to notice the similarities between them & most mainstream hip-hop / rap songs
March 1, 2013 @ 10:01 pm
The article I linked to above in this article I talk about the narcocorridos and the relationship between American music, consumerism, and marketing. I agree there are a lot of similarities.
https://savingcountrymusic.com/marijuana-music-and-marketing
March 1, 2013 @ 3:12 pm
I think that from a songwriting point of view, “Merry Go Round” is stronger, but “Follow Your Arrow” is better musically. It’s still well written though, especially when compared to the vast majority of mainstream country.
March 1, 2013 @ 5:23 pm
Great track — I had to smile especially at the verses. 😀
March 1, 2013 @ 5:43 pm
This is the third song I’ve heard her do now that has a pot reference in it.How many more before it gets old? Don’t get me wrong,I mostly like what I heard so far,but like you said, “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves”.
March 1, 2013 @ 10:00 pm
First, let me say, I love the article. I believe Kacey is going to be the next Miranda Lambert when she was in her “Kerosene” days. She has a fresh sound, creative lyrics, and sonic friendly songs. The only thing i do not agree with is that Eric Church made his career on “Smoke a Little Smoke”. Yes, it did become a huge hit, but he has not released any singles from Chief with that kind of content, but he could have. I’m Getting Stoned is a song that runs right up that alley, but has not been released, so I do not believe he has built his career on pot smoking songs. I’ve loved Kacey since she came out with the song “Oh Tonight” with the Josh Abbott Band. I’ve previewed all the songs from her first CD on ITunes and they are all spectacular. Let us hope this is the way country music is trending!
March 1, 2013 @ 10:07 pm
Let me clarify Patrick. I didn’t mean to imply that Eric Church “made his career” off of pot songs. Eric Church has touched a nerve in country music, and figured out how to walk the fine line of crafting an anti-establishment, Outlaw image, and being very commercially and mainstream appealing. I think the pot songs and some of the pot imagery he’s used has helped, but I’m certainly not saying that is all that he’s about. You don’t win the CMA for Album of the Year off the strength of one song.
March 1, 2013 @ 11:57 pm
Would I rather listen to Musgraves than “5-1-5-0, somebody call the po po?” Sure. But I don’t find her songs groundbreaking at all – musically, structurally, or thematically. Every song I hear is about smoking dope and doing what you want. I’m bored.
Her growing popularity is more a reflection of the deplorable state of country music these days. A breath of stale air is pretty refreshing after you’ve been asphyxiating for so long…
I enjoy the site; it’s obvious a lot of work goes into it.
March 2, 2013 @ 9:45 am
I could certainly compile a list of artists I’d rather hear than Kacey Musgraves, but there’s a larger list of artists I’d rather NOT hear than her. I think her song catalog has a lot more depth than the songs her label has decided to push from her initially. This is my biggest beef is that Kacey and her label are going to the same well too many times and risk typecasting her.
March 2, 2013 @ 12:35 am
Red Meats version of Streets of Baltimore is awesome, it is recorded live, check it out.
March 2, 2013 @ 7:37 am
I think she had serious guts to play such a subversive song at the Ryman Auditorium at a seminar for country radio. She won’t be pushed around artistically, that’s for sure.
March 2, 2013 @ 9:46 am
Good point.
March 2, 2013 @ 1:38 pm
Kacey is the best thing going for country radio right now. Of course I’d much rather have Turnpike Troubadours, Jason Isbell, Adam Hood and Brent Cobb among others lead the revolution, but they don’t have the opportunity that Kacey has in her hands right now. Kacey recently favorited a tweet that stated she is “more creative than everyone on country radio combined” so she has to be aware of the power that rests in her hands. If she’s the best thing we have going for country radio right now, we need to embrace it.. Cheers to you Trigger! She might not be a genius but she is damn sure better than the shit train that’s rolling steady down the piss covered tracks of country radio.
March 2, 2013 @ 11:04 pm
so when someone talented has mainstream success
some decide to bi**h that she an’it as good as other underground artist(be glad she is tolerable and not another swift)
March 3, 2013 @ 8:43 am
The article is about her potential to revolutionize country music, not whether or not she is worthy of mainstream success.
March 3, 2013 @ 3:12 pm
From a commercial perspective, the reality is that typecasting works. Most successful businesses, and the majority of successful music artists, do ONE thing well. A new artist’s message usually has to be repeated many times to cut through the clutter and create a brand. Taylor Swift focused on 10-18 year old white girls and beat her message of victimization and failed romances into the ground, yet she sold more records for a 5 year period than any other singer in any genre. From a marketing perspective it makes sense for Kacey to continue releasing songs with a similar theme to “Merry Go Round”, at least until she becomes a household name. To have a successful mainstream career, Kacey needs to acquire more fans who are not yet familiar with her music, and the most effective way is to keep doing what’s been working for her.
March 3, 2013 @ 3:46 pm
Interesting perspective.
March 3, 2013 @ 5:17 pm
The early signs look promising for sure, but I’m choosing to maintain a mildly cynical sense of caution for the following reason.
I remember quite recently when Sunny Sweeney was being heralded “the next big thing” in terms of emerging country stars when “From A Table Away” became a sleeper Top Ten hit. Then what happened? Its follow-up “Staying’s Worse Than Leaving” missed the Top Thirty altogether, as did its successor “Drinkin’ Myself Single”. And since she released her first LP “Concrete”, we have not heard from her again.
Trust me when I say I direly want Kacey Musgraves to truly have her commercial upturn and staying power confirmed by the hype. But it is in my opinion the hype is out of control right now. It’s like a raging wildfire, and I feel much of the hype, unfortunately, is stemming from the “When are we going to have another consistently successful female artist on country radio other than Swift, Lambert and Underwood?” frenzy.
I even had a semi-contentious argument on a music forum late last year with others who were arguing that “Merry Go ‘Round” would become at least a crossover Top Forty hit on Mainstream Top 40 radio for two reasons: 1) it was a debut single from a female artist that was enjoying more than modest success, and 2) because they thought she didn’t sound too different from the likes of The Lumineers and other alternative “folk” fare presently impacting Mainstream Top 40 radio. I honestly couldn’t get my head around any of that and said “Hey, believe me: in an ideal world that is EXACTLY what I’d like to see happen. But her chances of crossing over are next to nil! Period!”
Again, I’m delighted she is getting all of this attention. I really am. We are tragically long overdue for a paradigm shift. But I nonetheless feel that some are clamoring so desperately for a change that they are almost elevating Musgraves like a Messiah figure, and when you construct expectations as leviathan as this, you also potentially set yourself up for leviathan degrees of disappointment when they are left unfulfilled.
And, especially when many in this same music forum have argued that Kacey Musgraves is positioning herself to be the female Jamey Johnson, that only instantaneously underscores my point. Johnson, himself, secured a Top Fifteen hit with “The Dollar”, then went through label change turmoil and released “In Color” after signing to Mercury Nashville, which went Top Ten. Then what happened? Granted it was such a gutsy move from the start, but “High Cost of Living” missed the Top Thirty altogether despite all the critical acclaim and hype around its lyrics hoping to override the airplay taboos. And Johnson has gone nowhere on the singles charts since despite remaining a most viable artist outside of the confides of country radio.
March 3, 2013 @ 5:21 pm
As an addendum, I would boldly predict that Musgraves is more likely to dramatically influence Nashville not so much on stage, but off stage: through continuing to prolifically pen songs like Miranda Lambert’s current hit “Mama’s Broken Heart”.
By all means she should continue to give it her all a fighting chance. But color me most skeptical, to say the least, of her emerging the next staple female artist of country radio. I’d argue Jana Kramer is most likely to ascend to this rank in the coming months.
March 3, 2013 @ 5:45 pm
I do agree hype can cause an unhealthy arch of unattainable expectations and even backlash, and that is a potential problem if they continue to push the same angle with her as Adrian said above. But as you said, if she continues to work as a songwriter, this will give her some sustainability no matter what happens with radio and touring.
I think the disappearance of Jamey Johnson has gone grossly under reported. A few years ago he was one of the hottest songwriters in town while his performance career was on the rise. Now he hasn’t released an original song in over 2 years, and is openly saying he’s not writing. It sounds like he’s lost his heart. The tools are still. The question is can he get his drive back?
March 10, 2013 @ 2:47 am
The “disappearance” of Jamey Johnson has a lot to do with his duck dynasty-like look combined with his musical choices. Had he kept his hair and beard shorter and had more songs like “in color” radio woulda kept playing him. But he didn’t really want any of that, either. He doesn’t like to play the radio/industry game that his buddies Jerrod And Randy have been more willing to play.
March 10, 2013 @ 9:00 am
I can see that. But I also think it is due to him not writing and releasing an original song in two years, and seeming to be completely disenfranchised from the whole business.
https://savingcountrymusic.com/jamey-johnson-in-contract-dispute-i-dont-get-paid
March 4, 2013 @ 2:08 am
I don’t see Kacey becoming a big star on country radio in the longer term. Her message goes against the idealized image that suburbanites have of a rural America that they have never lived in. It could also make some mainstream country music fans in small town America feel defensive.
Country radio has had a heavy dose of blond girls who started out with a “sweet and innocent” image since 2005, and might be ready for a change. But I agree that it is more likely that Jana Kramer, the sexy brunette with no ideological message, will climb the charts.
March 3, 2013 @ 7:43 pm
Anytime I have to listen to country radio I am so relieved whenever Merry Go Round comes on it’s amazing. I really like Kacey Musgraves, yeah she may not be the most mature songwriter out there, but it sure as hell beats everything else on the radio. I just hope she continues to see success and hopefully it leads to even better music being played on country radio.
March 4, 2013 @ 2:27 am
I think Kacey’s music including “Merry Go Round” is intended to appeal to lower income young females who are frustrated with small town America. Some of these people grew up on country music but might be less fond of it than their neighbors. Many of them will eventually move to the city and leave country music behind. She will have to walk a very fine line to avoid annoying country radio’s audience. Miranda Lambert’s fans and Gretchen Wilson’s fans were conservative women who love rural America and resent big city elites, which is a very different profile from Kacey’s target audience.
March 5, 2013 @ 8:05 pm
I like this song more than I like “Merry Go Round”. It’s much catchier. I’m pretty sure if I played this song to my non-country listening friends, they’d get a kick out of it. Especially the pot references.
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March 6, 2013 @ 4:01 pm
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March 7, 2013 @ 10:54 am
Recently saw her live opening for LBT. Her stage presence is a breath of fresh air, and given her origins I think her insights and talent for social commentary are extraordinary for one so young. The songs from her upcoming album are such a radical departure from her previously self released material – it’s an interesting creative metamorphosis.
If you really catch on to her tongue in cheek view of the world around her, I think she’s more like Brad Paisley as a song writer than any of the comparisons I read in the other posts.
I grew up with the great folk singers of the 1960s, and I’m delighted to hear some of that irreverence and musicality in her approach and style.