Apple Music names Kacey Musgraves 'Golden Hour' as one of the 100 Best Albums of all time

Ranked at No. 85, Kacey Musgraves' 2018-released album "Golden Hour" is considered by Apple Music, plus a select group of artists, including Maren Morris, Pharrell Williams, J Balvin, Charli XCX, Mark Hoppus, Honey Dijon, and Nia Archives, plus songwriters, producers, and industry professionals, to be one of the 100 greatest albums of all time.

Apple Music's currently-releasing 100 Best Albums countdown represents "human curation at its peak, an appreciation for the art of storytelling, and unparalleled knowledge of music and an even deeper love for it," says Rachel Newman, Apple Music's senior director of content and editorial.

Zane Lowe, Apple Music's global creative director and lead anchor for Apple Music 1, continues, "Putting this list together was a true labor of love, both in that it was challenging to do and that we are all so passionate about it. Selecting the 100 best is practically mission impossible. But as music fans, it was also amazing to really take a minute and sit and think about the music and albums and artists that we love so much in this context. If this list sparks more debate among fans outside of Apple Music and gets people talking passionately about the music they love, then we've done what we set out to do."

"What a huge compliment! I'm so honored… I haven't seen this list, but I would imagine there are some pretty powerful (albums) on that list! So I'm like, I'll take it," Musgraves told Lowe.

Genre-expanding from country to more

Reflecting on the album upon learning about the achievement, she offers that the release was an intentional homage to Glen Campbell and Marty Robbins' work during the 1960s and 1970s "countrypolitan" era.

"I just imagined this world where these intrinsic country instruments could live hand in hand with, like, vocoder and, you know, things like that, a lot of synths, some layers (in) a new country world."

Aside from the eventual genre and tradition-driven crossing of an invisible line-in-the-sand criticism country traditionalists gave the recording, her initial concerns were far more in the vein of her believing the recording to be akin to Bob Dylan's Newport Folk Festival set in 1965:

"I remember thinking, are people gonna be like, "What is this [EXPLETIVE]? She's gone electric!"

Reflecting deeper on her multi-genre evolution, Musgraves added, "I don’t really believe that you need to leave a genre. I think some of the best creators of all time have kind of created their own genre. I mean, what were the Beatles, they were their own thing, what were the Eagles? And so, I love and am very thankful to have the creative freedom to move kind of seamlessly between the things that inspire me. You know, I might put out 'Pageant Material,' which is as country as you can get. And then 'Golden Hour' might point a little bit more in a different direction. 'star-crossed' was kind of back over there again, and then 'Deeper Well' kind of pulled me in a little closer to home. And it felt fun to make music like that."

Regarding the album's eventual 2019 Grammy wins for Album of the Year and Best Country Album, Musgraves adds that she believes that staying true to "what felt really good to (her) heart at the time and following her "(authentic human) compass" connected with people "because we're all going through the same [EXPLETIVE], and we all crave the same things."

"(Seeing and feeling the) heartbeat" of material instead of believing it to be representative of a "passing trend or whatever" matters most to the performer.

Digging deeper into what has allowed her career to expanding to six albums via 2024's "Deeper Well," the now seven-time Grammy-winner notes that "creators are just a channel, a vessel to receive some sort of lightning bolt idea" that when "(shaped) to your liking and (put out) there" creates a "magical and connective experience" that she's perpetually "grateful to have."

Apple's 100 Best Albums countdown

From May 13-22, 2024, via 100best.music.apple.com, Apple Music will offer an in-depth analysis of their 100 best albums of all time, featuring archival interviews and more,

The last ten albums will be revealed on Wednesday, May 22, with a global roundtable discussion on Apple Music that features guest artists Nile Rodgers and Maggie Rogers reflecting on the list alongside Apple Music’s own Zane Lowe and Ebro Darden. Lowe will also curate a special mashup-style DJ mix featuring songs from all 100 Best Albums.

All 100 Best Album recipients will be given an award comprised of blasted anodized aluminum, sourced entirely from recycled Apple products, in a unique polished PVD gold. The design on the back of the award takes its cues from a vinyl LP record and is inscribed with the artist’s name, the album’s title, and the album’s year of release.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Kacey Musgraves: 'Golden Hour' album gets high praise from Apple Music