Kacey Musgraves is going back home. In a move that has fans and music insiders buzzing, the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter has officially signed with the newly revived Lost Highway Records. The artist revealed that it was a “full-circle moment” more than a decade in the making. The announcement was confirmed through Musgraves’ social media and major outlets.
“While some might think of it as a ‘return,’ I want to make it super clear that I never left. It’s always been a home base, and it’s truly where I’m sonically the most happy,” she told The Hollywood Reporter. “But since the beginning, I’ve always had an exploratory foot out the door a little bit, allowing myself to infuse all these other genres that speak to me.”
Clearly, this isn’t just a shift in label affiliation; it’s a potential realignment of her musical identity.
Kacey Musgraves Returns to Her Roots
Launched back in 2000, Lost Highway Records built a reputation for understanding artists who blurred the lines between several genres. Specifically, artists who focused on country, folk, and Americana feel helped elevate the careers of several genre-defying artists.
It was also where Musgraves began her professional journey, before the label merged into Mercury Nashville in 2012. Her return signifies more than nostalgia; it speaks to a renewed artistic vision rooted in authenticity and creative freedom.
On Instagram, to share the groundbreaking news, Musgraves posted a photo of herself wearing a cowboy hat with the caption, “Lost Highway’s been found.” Matching the statement, it’s safe to say that Lost Highway helped shape her into one of the most influential artists in modern country and pop music. Musgraves is known for her raw, poetic lyrics and lush soundscapes, as well as for her progressive voice within a traditionally conservative genre.
A Career Marked by Evolution
Musgraves, who was born in Golden, Texas, began writing songs at the age of eight. By her teenage years, she was recording music independently, with her big break arriving in 2012 when she signed with Mercury Nashville. She went on to release her major-label debut, “Same Trailer Different Park,” in 2013. She received a Grammy for Best Country Album and catapulted herself into the national spotlight.
But Musgraves never stayed in one “genre lane,” per se. This is what makes her the versatile artist she is today, especially with her 2015 follow-up, “Pageant Material,” which leaned into traditional country with a satirical edge. Then came “Golden Hour” in 2018, which went on to become a genre-blending masterpiece, winning an Album of the Year Grammy Award.
In 2021, “Star-Crossed” explored themes of heartbreak and healing, diving more into country-pop after her public divorce. Continuing the streak in 2024, “Deeper Well” went on to debut at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, also earning a Grammy for Best Country Song with “The Architect.”
A New Era, A New Cover
Now back with the label where it all began, Musgraves is set to enter a new creative era that fans are ecstatic about. While no specific album has been announced as of yet, her decision to return speaks volumes about what’s to come. Several believe it will be music that is both rooted and revolutionary, with a hit of nostalgia from her previous albums.
She even marked the occasion with her very own rendition of “Lost Highway,” which some have dubbed as the label’s theme song. Reflecting on the track, she said, “It really feels good to wholeheartedly embrace that sound, because I’m always listening to that kind of thing. There may be a misconception that country music is easy to replicate. When you look at the bones of traditional country—the structure, the sounds, the subject matter—it’s not easy to replicate. It comes across as very simple, and the best country music is.”
In an era where country music is undergoing a profound transformation, Musgraves is standing at the forefront. With Lost Highway behind her once again, she’s not just revisiting her past; rather, she’s reshaping the future for herself and for the artists who will follow in her footsteps.
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Kacey Musgraves Celebrates Lost Highway Record Deal With New Song