Kacey Musgraves Teases New Album as She Heads Into Grammys Weekend

Kacey Musgraves' next musical chapter is on its way -- or at least, it certainly seems like it, according to a multi-post social media tease the singer shared on Saturday (Feb. 3.)

That day, she posted nine images, none of which had a caption: Most were mysterious close-up shots of grass in a field, with some graphics of geometric triangles overlaid on the photos. The fifth photo Musgraves shared began tying things together, with an image of a nude woman -- seemingly, the singer herself. In the photo, she lays down in the field in the fetal position, facing away from the camera, as her dark hair falls into the grass behind her.

Altogether, the individual posts create a larger grid image of the woman in the field -- and it looks an awful lot like an album cover, or the beginning of a new musical era or aesthetic.

For at least her past two album cycles, Musgraves has been known for creating an elaborate, immersive aesthetic to go along with the projects she's released. For example, the bubbly and optimistic Golden Hour was defined by blue skies, shimmering rainbows and hand-held Japanese fans.

Her next album, Star-Crossed, created a world that was much darker: Flames, gothic lettering and a simmering red color palette helped create the world of Greek tragedy-inspired high drama that Musgraves wanted to draw from for her album about her divorce from fellow singer Ruston Kelly. Star-Crossed, Musgraves' most recent album -- dropped in September 2021.

With that recent history in mind, it's no surprise that Musgraves is kicking off a new musical chapter by establishing the aesthetics of the songs to come. If her latest tease does indeed mean that a new album is coming, it'll be the singer's fifth studio project, not counting her A Very Kacey Christmas holiday album from 2016.

The new music tease comes one day before the 2024 Grammy Awards -- an event that Musgraves plans to attend, since she's a presenter at the show, according to a Saturday announcement from the Recording Academy. Musgraves -- and specifically, her Golden Hour album -- have significant history with the Grammys. In 2019, Musgraves swept all four of the categories in which she was nominated, and Golden Hour won both Best Country Album and the all-genre Album of the Year category.

Musgraves has since been a mainstay at the awards show, whether that's as a nominee, performer or presenter. This year, in addition to her presenting duties, she's nominated in two categories for her Zach Bryan duet, "I Remember Everything."