yup, it wasn't for me either... very much feels like we're trying to tell the same story we told on golden hour in oh what a world/love is a wild thing (probably my two least favorite songs on that album to be honest). it's like.... a more boring version of ideas we've already heard.
which sucks bc she's capable of interesting stuff! like cardinal. there were some good moments and i wish she'd spent more time exploring those instead of recording golden hour rejects.
i also just kinda never buy when someone is emphatically telling me how healed they are... i dont believe you!!
That's a very good point, when people are like WORLD, I'M SO HEALED!!! It just sounds like forcing a narrative, idk. I don't think we really let go of past traumas, we just learn to live with and through it at best, because you can't really buy a new brain on the crystal shop
TRULLYYYYY...and like I understand this need people have to just say "I'm healed now!!!" because like it's a heck of a lot better than facing a reality where you may never truly be healed, but idk....I'm resentful of it sometimes because people market it in such a way where if you're NOT living that way then there's something wrong with you, like you need to do THIS to cut out toxicity and you need to buy THESE stones and you need to LET SHIT GO and on and on. To me it's like toxic positivity to an extent, I'd rather just live in my truth that I'm fucked up LMFAEROIGJEROIGARJOIGJA
i read a comment the other day that was like, "there's two versions of affirmations: there's orienting yourself towards your desires and who you want to be, and then there's denying and repressing your current experience and engaging in toxic positivity". i feel like 90% of "im so healed now" is the latter...
okay listen i am a noted enjoyer of this album. HOWEVER i do completely get where you're coming from with the eyerolls and not buying into her "healing." i grew up in northern california and i live in LA now and the woo-woo naturey bullshit i've been surrounded by my whole life KILLLSSSSSS me. i am so not a woo-woo person. in fact i would say i am anti woo-woo. i do NAWT fuck with a crystal. BUT!!!! idk something about this works for me. i don't think the writing is sublime - there hasn't been a lyric that really knocked me over. like let's not get crazy here - this is not giving me folklore levels of gaggery. but i really enjoy the dreamy cohesiveness. does it make me want to ride off into the hills and be on my joni mitchell shit and light up in the canyon? yeah. unfortunately it does kangjkkjndgksnkg and that's my cross to bear.
despite our differing feelings i still really enjoyed this bc i love how strongly you feel about things LMAO!!! it's just a joy to listen to - "i'm not in my peasant dress spinning around after taking 3 bong hits" i mean that's gold. that's herstory. i'm cracking up. so thanks!!
LMFAOOO well so much of it is really fantastic music to just like. Have on. It’s not meant (to me) for deep or introspective listening it’s like music to put on while you’re doing spring cleaning that makes you feel the way that one song from mean girls does - you know the one everyone is using as a tik tok meme now 😭😭😭 I could really see my myself being in the mood to have it on for ambiance at some point honestly
I really fell in love with golden hour and that album helped me out a lot when it came out. I really tried to start loving this era ( I pre ordered the cardinal vinyl because it’s gorgeous and even bought concert tickets for tour).
However, I’m sooooo bored and it feels so disconnected for me?! Like what is the thesis?! It felt hollow to me as well, but for the girlies that love it turn it up! I will say the vinyl variants are gorgeous and I like the visuals.
I’m just gonna blame Kacey’s fall on the Grammys not giving Reputation album of the year. Maybe then Kacey would keep actually trying with her music 🥲.
At first listen I would have agreed with you but I’ve stuck with this album and after a week or two I love it. I actually prefer it to Golden hour in some ways because for me the faster tracks, the side 2 of it all lose my interest on GH, but the side 1 is beyond enjoyable. I’m yet to fall in love with Starstruck although there’s one or two on there which I do like. But back to DW. Cardinal is chefs kiss to me, Jade Green is a great song which I feel a connection to as my son travelled in Asia last summer and the family he stayed with gave him a Jade Green bracelet for me ( so nice of them) as they said it warded off negative energy. Listen, I’ll try anything. I also love sway and Lonely millionaire. I think this album is a grower, I like what she was trying to do. Incidentally I saw a clip of her singing too good to be true recently on tour and she couldn’t sing the words and the audience sang them for her. I think there’s a lot of truth she put into this album and I appreciate the effort and honesty.
Well I was totally with you upon my first listen of the album…. But here we are… a few days later and I can’t help but put the album on. It just sounds pretty and can’t help myself. Like yes it isn’t a masterpiece… but here I am just vibing with it.
This review was cracking me up, partially because I think I have the same instinct you have of being like “if I met Kacey Musgraves in person I would not be able to STAND this bitch…” and yet here I am, streaming the songs, so who’s laughing all the way to the bank? Not me, I fear.
I actually kind of liked Star-Crossed, I thought it had some fun productional moments, although I think in terms of whole albums, Golden Hour is the only one of hers where it’s consistently strong throughout. But I wish more than anything the Lizard Review had existed when Star Crossed came out so I could listen to you absolutely flame it to death. I would be seated for that, even if I like some of the songs.
I gave this new album a spin and I enjoyed a few of the songs, I thought they were pretty, I liked the beat — but they were interspersed throughout what was otherwise a general snooze fest. The last track, “nothing to be scared of,” was so disappointing. That’s the closer, and I literally cannot remember a THING about it after listening multiple times!! Flop!!! I actually didn’t really like Cardinal on first listen but perhaps I’ll have to give it another try. I liked “Sway” a lot but I think that may be because I completely tuned out the lyrics…. lol. Lyrically, this album was a nothing burger. It’s some nice background music to put in a playlist, but it was faaaaar from anything I would describe as “revelatory” or whatever the hell the Guardian said.
Omfg I literally remember when I first heard Star Crossed I waited up until midnight to listen to it because it was SO hyped up as being this epic divorce record etc etc, and I just remember sitting there in utter awe of what I was hearing.....I was like surely this is a prank........just sat there mouth agape...........
And I really really liked this album. Yes, this is not a masterpiece, but I really enjoy listening to it. This is a very good album. And I’m not at all into the topic of crystals, astrology and all that shit. But the album is wonderful. It is warm like a hug, springlike, sweet, lovely. I'm listening to it on repeat now. It just touched me, sunk into my soul at this moment in my life. It gives a feeling of hope. It's like hearing a spring bird singing for the first time after winter early in the morning at dawn 🤗🌿
I see the vision!!!!!!!!!!! Kacey using Saturn's Return to describe like her tumultuous past few years is also very apropos - she got divorced right around the time she was turning 30 and I'm sure that in addition to getting divorced was a real mind fuck, so it is interesting to kinda see the albums chronologically as a story
Girl I'm about to go CRAZY- this album is definitely targeted more for me, I just want to mention a few things for you:
1) If you liked Dinner with Friends, I recommend you watch the lyrical analysis video American Express put out. I don't know why this exists because I haven't seen it for any other song, but it shows the original draft and Kacey explained where and why she changed some things. It seemed to have more negative statements in its early stages. But tbh I hate the higher harmonies she adds on the last chorus of the song; she sounds like a screaming squirrel.
2) I'm gonna defend my girl Jade Green: you don't have to like the lyrical content, but let's give it up for the instrumentation. It's one of the most captivating compositions to me and harkens back to Cardinal, as both aren't trying as hard as the rest of the tracks to sound grounded. This also goes into Kacey's recent trend of writing with concepts intertwined with Eastern culture (one I first noticed with "cherry blossom" on star-crossed). My crystal lady tells me about Jade and how its protective qualities have roots in Chinese culture. So I think she tried to show homage to that with this song and Anime Eyes, and frankly I think Jade Green does it better. The Anime Eyes bridge is too based for me to wanna jive with it and its delivery.
3) I did not like The Architect on my first listen. The way she deifies nature is very much giving Hillsong Worship. Like I wont judge girl, if the trees are your god go for it, but don't bring up your man! The stars did nothing to help you find him! I mean I have to respect it if that's her journey, but that's where her "healing girl era" writing style got to me. It's getting the promotional single push (sadly) because she co-wrote it with Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne whom are hugeeee country songwriters. She's trying to prove the Golden Hour girl is still there. I'm not sure if they have worked together before, but their inclusion will help the country fans feel better.
4) Lonely Millionare icksss me out. I understand why you think she's very fake here, but I think this is the peak. Why is the millionaire giving ME platitudes about money I don't have? I agree with you that it is cut short, and maybe if it was longer it could've clarified some thoughts. I am a huge JID fan tho and the sample gagged me; I recommend the album it comes from ("The Forever Story").
5) Kinda hit the nail on the head with Heaven Is... I'll give it to you girl. At best, she wrote a song without a chorus. But it is a skip
6) I'd like you to give "Moving Out" and "Giver/Taker". Moving Out is a shift in season as she reflects on the place she once shared with someone. This song actually reminds me of some folklorian themes... "our coming of age has come and gone"; I'm sure you've heard of it! And while she doesn't claim she couldn't give her lover peace, it hits me in the gut because of the simplicity of having to watch a part of your past knowing it's no longer your reality. It makes me ill in a lesser form, but a similar way to Sweet Nothing, because she ultimately seems grateful. This is my one sided stretch, and if you've seen me comment about Sweet Nothing before, I'm sorry.
I wouldn't say I like Giver/Taker as much, but I find it compelling how she narrates the struggle for balance in this connection. While some may say she's looking for equality, I interpret she may want to pull the pendulum entirely on her side as she has been pushing it opposite her. I'd love to know how you interpret that idea.
7) Finally, the only reason the choir oohhms on Sway are good for is opening the tour, and I will be clapping and cheering when it happens. That's the only reason I believe she would've made them as long as they are is so if that's included on tour, people may actually recognize it.
To conclude, I really like this album for the peace it gives me. I'm a crystal girl, I'm a New Yorker; aspects like that make it feel close to home. She just needs to admit she was high the way she admitted parts of Golden Hour developed while she was on acid. "Golden Hour 2.0" was never gonna happen anyway; it's ok to not be healed and even do drugs sometimes!
yup, it wasn't for me either... very much feels like we're trying to tell the same story we told on golden hour in oh what a world/love is a wild thing (probably my two least favorite songs on that album to be honest). it's like.... a more boring version of ideas we've already heard.
which sucks bc she's capable of interesting stuff! like cardinal. there were some good moments and i wish she'd spent more time exploring those instead of recording golden hour rejects.
i also just kinda never buy when someone is emphatically telling me how healed they are... i dont believe you!!
That's a very good point, when people are like WORLD, I'M SO HEALED!!! It just sounds like forcing a narrative, idk. I don't think we really let go of past traumas, we just learn to live with and through it at best, because you can't really buy a new brain on the crystal shop
TRULLYYYYY...and like I understand this need people have to just say "I'm healed now!!!" because like it's a heck of a lot better than facing a reality where you may never truly be healed, but idk....I'm resentful of it sometimes because people market it in such a way where if you're NOT living that way then there's something wrong with you, like you need to do THIS to cut out toxicity and you need to buy THESE stones and you need to LET SHIT GO and on and on. To me it's like toxic positivity to an extent, I'd rather just live in my truth that I'm fucked up LMFAEROIGJEROIGARJOIGJA
i read a comment the other day that was like, "there's two versions of affirmations: there's orienting yourself towards your desires and who you want to be, and then there's denying and repressing your current experience and engaging in toxic positivity". i feel like 90% of "im so healed now" is the latter...
It amazes me that Kacey assumes I simply MUST know that she's healed now, even though I'm not even sure of what it is that damaged her.
As usual she uses beautiful instruments, but do they do anything memorable, overall?
okay listen i am a noted enjoyer of this album. HOWEVER i do completely get where you're coming from with the eyerolls and not buying into her "healing." i grew up in northern california and i live in LA now and the woo-woo naturey bullshit i've been surrounded by my whole life KILLLSSSSSS me. i am so not a woo-woo person. in fact i would say i am anti woo-woo. i do NAWT fuck with a crystal. BUT!!!! idk something about this works for me. i don't think the writing is sublime - there hasn't been a lyric that really knocked me over. like let's not get crazy here - this is not giving me folklore levels of gaggery. but i really enjoy the dreamy cohesiveness. does it make me want to ride off into the hills and be on my joni mitchell shit and light up in the canyon? yeah. unfortunately it does kangjkkjndgksnkg and that's my cross to bear.
despite our differing feelings i still really enjoyed this bc i love how strongly you feel about things LMAO!!! it's just a joy to listen to - "i'm not in my peasant dress spinning around after taking 3 bong hits" i mean that's gold. that's herstory. i'm cracking up. so thanks!!
LMFAOOO well so much of it is really fantastic music to just like. Have on. It’s not meant (to me) for deep or introspective listening it’s like music to put on while you’re doing spring cleaning that makes you feel the way that one song from mean girls does - you know the one everyone is using as a tik tok meme now 😭😭😭 I could really see my myself being in the mood to have it on for ambiance at some point honestly
I really fell in love with golden hour and that album helped me out a lot when it came out. I really tried to start loving this era ( I pre ordered the cardinal vinyl because it’s gorgeous and even bought concert tickets for tour).
However, I’m sooooo bored and it feels so disconnected for me?! Like what is the thesis?! It felt hollow to me as well, but for the girlies that love it turn it up! I will say the vinyl variants are gorgeous and I like the visuals.
Omg I can't wait for the Zayn review 😄 I was shocked when I saw the comments on his new song. These girls need to read a little
I’m just gonna blame Kacey’s fall on the Grammys not giving Reputation album of the year. Maybe then Kacey would keep actually trying with her music 🥲.
And Rep is given its flowers so win win lolololol
But Reputation wasn't even nominated for album of the year...
Well it should have been
Absolutely yes! 🖤
Thank you Lizard!
Same, girl, same. I tried once and I only remember thinking one of the songs sounded like a children’s song 🤷♀️
At first listen I would have agreed with you but I’ve stuck with this album and after a week or two I love it. I actually prefer it to Golden hour in some ways because for me the faster tracks, the side 2 of it all lose my interest on GH, but the side 1 is beyond enjoyable. I’m yet to fall in love with Starstruck although there’s one or two on there which I do like. But back to DW. Cardinal is chefs kiss to me, Jade Green is a great song which I feel a connection to as my son travelled in Asia last summer and the family he stayed with gave him a Jade Green bracelet for me ( so nice of them) as they said it warded off negative energy. Listen, I’ll try anything. I also love sway and Lonely millionaire. I think this album is a grower, I like what she was trying to do. Incidentally I saw a clip of her singing too good to be true recently on tour and she couldn’t sing the words and the audience sang them for her. I think there’s a lot of truth she put into this album and I appreciate the effort and honesty.
Was this album a masterpiece?? Well no. Do I like to listen to it while im going for walks around my neighborhood? Well yes!
SAY THAT!!!
Well I was totally with you upon my first listen of the album…. But here we are… a few days later and I can’t help but put the album on. It just sounds pretty and can’t help myself. Like yes it isn’t a masterpiece… but here I am just vibing with it.
Well I'm sat here turning up Cardinal at every available opportunity akdgoiaerjioj so what can I say....
This review was cracking me up, partially because I think I have the same instinct you have of being like “if I met Kacey Musgraves in person I would not be able to STAND this bitch…” and yet here I am, streaming the songs, so who’s laughing all the way to the bank? Not me, I fear.
I actually kind of liked Star-Crossed, I thought it had some fun productional moments, although I think in terms of whole albums, Golden Hour is the only one of hers where it’s consistently strong throughout. But I wish more than anything the Lizard Review had existed when Star Crossed came out so I could listen to you absolutely flame it to death. I would be seated for that, even if I like some of the songs.
I gave this new album a spin and I enjoyed a few of the songs, I thought they were pretty, I liked the beat — but they were interspersed throughout what was otherwise a general snooze fest. The last track, “nothing to be scared of,” was so disappointing. That’s the closer, and I literally cannot remember a THING about it after listening multiple times!! Flop!!! I actually didn’t really like Cardinal on first listen but perhaps I’ll have to give it another try. I liked “Sway” a lot but I think that may be because I completely tuned out the lyrics…. lol. Lyrically, this album was a nothing burger. It’s some nice background music to put in a playlist, but it was faaaaar from anything I would describe as “revelatory” or whatever the hell the Guardian said.
Omfg I literally remember when I first heard Star Crossed I waited up until midnight to listen to it because it was SO hyped up as being this epic divorce record etc etc, and I just remember sitting there in utter awe of what I was hearing.....I was like surely this is a prank........just sat there mouth agape...........
And I really really liked this album. Yes, this is not a masterpiece, but I really enjoy listening to it. This is a very good album. And I’m not at all into the topic of crystals, astrology and all that shit. But the album is wonderful. It is warm like a hug, springlike, sweet, lovely. I'm listening to it on repeat now. It just touched me, sunk into my soul at this moment in my life. It gives a feeling of hope. It's like hearing a spring bird singing for the first time after winter early in the morning at dawn 🤗🌿
Golden Hour - falling in love, happiness, marriage 🩷
Star-crossed - heartbreak, divorce, sadness 💔
Deeper well - healing after divorce, self care, finding happiness again, finding yourself again, believing in love again after heartbreaking divorce💚
Really 3 part story to me, amazing!
I see the vision!!!!!!!!!!! Kacey using Saturn's Return to describe like her tumultuous past few years is also very apropos - she got divorced right around the time she was turning 30 and I'm sure that in addition to getting divorced was a real mind fuck, so it is interesting to kinda see the albums chronologically as a story
Girl I'm about to go CRAZY- this album is definitely targeted more for me, I just want to mention a few things for you:
1) If you liked Dinner with Friends, I recommend you watch the lyrical analysis video American Express put out. I don't know why this exists because I haven't seen it for any other song, but it shows the original draft and Kacey explained where and why she changed some things. It seemed to have more negative statements in its early stages. But tbh I hate the higher harmonies she adds on the last chorus of the song; she sounds like a screaming squirrel.
2) I'm gonna defend my girl Jade Green: you don't have to like the lyrical content, but let's give it up for the instrumentation. It's one of the most captivating compositions to me and harkens back to Cardinal, as both aren't trying as hard as the rest of the tracks to sound grounded. This also goes into Kacey's recent trend of writing with concepts intertwined with Eastern culture (one I first noticed with "cherry blossom" on star-crossed). My crystal lady tells me about Jade and how its protective qualities have roots in Chinese culture. So I think she tried to show homage to that with this song and Anime Eyes, and frankly I think Jade Green does it better. The Anime Eyes bridge is too based for me to wanna jive with it and its delivery.
3) I did not like The Architect on my first listen. The way she deifies nature is very much giving Hillsong Worship. Like I wont judge girl, if the trees are your god go for it, but don't bring up your man! The stars did nothing to help you find him! I mean I have to respect it if that's her journey, but that's where her "healing girl era" writing style got to me. It's getting the promotional single push (sadly) because she co-wrote it with Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne whom are hugeeee country songwriters. She's trying to prove the Golden Hour girl is still there. I'm not sure if they have worked together before, but their inclusion will help the country fans feel better.
4) Lonely Millionare icksss me out. I understand why you think she's very fake here, but I think this is the peak. Why is the millionaire giving ME platitudes about money I don't have? I agree with you that it is cut short, and maybe if it was longer it could've clarified some thoughts. I am a huge JID fan tho and the sample gagged me; I recommend the album it comes from ("The Forever Story").
5) Kinda hit the nail on the head with Heaven Is... I'll give it to you girl. At best, she wrote a song without a chorus. But it is a skip
6) I'd like you to give "Moving Out" and "Giver/Taker". Moving Out is a shift in season as she reflects on the place she once shared with someone. This song actually reminds me of some folklorian themes... "our coming of age has come and gone"; I'm sure you've heard of it! And while she doesn't claim she couldn't give her lover peace, it hits me in the gut because of the simplicity of having to watch a part of your past knowing it's no longer your reality. It makes me ill in a lesser form, but a similar way to Sweet Nothing, because she ultimately seems grateful. This is my one sided stretch, and if you've seen me comment about Sweet Nothing before, I'm sorry.
I wouldn't say I like Giver/Taker as much, but I find it compelling how she narrates the struggle for balance in this connection. While some may say she's looking for equality, I interpret she may want to pull the pendulum entirely on her side as she has been pushing it opposite her. I'd love to know how you interpret that idea.
7) Finally, the only reason the choir oohhms on Sway are good for is opening the tour, and I will be clapping and cheering when it happens. That's the only reason I believe she would've made them as long as they are is so if that's included on tour, people may actually recognize it.
To conclude, I really like this album for the peace it gives me. I'm a crystal girl, I'm a New Yorker; aspects like that make it feel close to home. She just needs to admit she was high the way she admitted parts of Golden Hour developed while she was on acid. "Golden Hour 2.0" was never gonna happen anyway; it's ok to not be healed and even do drugs sometimes!
Catching up on my Lizard content. Thank you for listening to bad albums so i don’t have to. 🙏🏼 doing the lords work