Kacey Musgraves’ Queer Country Anthem “Follow Your Arrow” Wins Song of the Year at the CMAs!
Remember last January when Kacey Musgraves moseyed into our lives with a super kitschy and super cute performance of her totally You Do You themed song “Follow Your Arrow” at the Grammys? Remember when we all found out that we had this cool, cute, feminist, anti slut-shaming, anti fat-shaming, pro-pot (if that’s what you’re into) and totally queer-friendly country singer right in our own back yards? Remember how we all instantly developed crushes on her (or in Hansen’s case had already been in love with her for a while)? Well, she’s back in the spotlight winning Country Music’s biggest songwriting award, the Song of the Year award at the CMA’s!
http://vimeo.com/85394517
In case you don’t remember, Musgrave’s hit song includes the refrain: “Make lots of noise/Kiss lots of boys/or kiss lots of girls/if that’s something you’re into./When the straight and narrow/gets a little too straight/roll up a joint, or don’t/just follow your arrow where it it points.” This is the kind of queer anthem by a straight artist we can all get behind.
“That’s why her hair is so big, it’s full of queer-friendly country anthems” via US Magazine
First, Musgraves showed up and was super adorable and fashionable with her throw-back classic country giant hair on the red carpet. Then she dueted with country legend Loretta Lynn on Lynn’s song “You’re Looking at Country.” Musgrave’s biggest moment, though, came when she won the CMA for Song of the Year for her song “Follow Your Arrow.” Musgraves co-wrote the song with producer Shane McAnally and lesbian country singer Brandy Clark, who was also the only woman to be nominated for Best New Artist this year (an award Musgraves won last year).
In her acceptance speech, Musgraves said that she’s excited that what’s considered “normal” in country music is starting to change.
Do you guys realize what this means for country music? I think I can speak for all of us when I say that this award means so much because our genre was built on simple, good song about real life. And that’s what this was. And it was because of the fans that connected with it who spread it and took it farther than I ever could.
via Rolling Stone
With this win, it looks like country music is really taking her message to heart. The CMA winners are chosen by members of the Country Music Association, which is made up of industry professionals and organizations and have the goal of promoting country music and recognizing excellence in the field. It isn’t just country fans (and people who wouldn’t normally consider themselves country fans) who love this song and are embracing it’s message, it’s also the people who are making, producing and promoting country music. So you go, Kacey Musgraves; the future of country music couldn’t be in better hands.
8 Reasons Kacey Musgraves Is Your New Fave: A Kacey Musgraves Appreciation Post
For many of us, the best thing to happen at the Grammys last night was our introduction to Kacey Musgraves. Welcome to the club, I have been here for some time. Here are the top reasons I am unashamedly in love with Kacey Musgraves!
1. She placed fifth on the Reality TV Show Nashville Star in 2007 (remember that show? me neither) and still came in FIRST PLACE at The Grammys (remember that show? YEAH YOU DO).
Nashville Star Publicity Photo
2. She co-wrote all of the songs on Same Trailer Different Park, the show Nashville, and Miranda Lambert’s “Mama’s Broken Heart” (you should watch her version!).
3. Her songs have depth. Actual depth. And for the most part, every song’s message is “Be Yourself And Be Happy.”
4. As Contributing Editor Audrey said, “I like Follow Your Arrow so much because it’s not an ally song in the overbearing ‘look at how progressive and ally-like’ I am way. It’s just ‘you do you’ you can two-step to.”
5. When was the last time you heard a country song positively reference smoking pot, atheism, premarital sex, and kissing whoever the fuck you want? Maybe this will start a new progressive movement in country music!
6. Kacey could be a super successful crossover artist in the same way that we’re really only seeing from Taylor and Carrie at the moment, but you don’t have to feel guilty about enjoying her songs like you do whenever you put on the Taylor Swift Pandora station.
7. She has never posted a food picture on her Instagram — but did post about Lisa Frank, Hocus Pocus and how much she loves using baking soda as an exfoliant which I’m wholeheartedly behind.
8. This Outfit really takes “No/Minimal Pants” to the next level:
