“Uncertain, TX” might be a made up town… but it sounds all too real.
Yesterday, Kacey Musgraves played the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, headlining the Mojave tent, where she played a total of 13 songs, with some of them of course being from her forthcoming sixth studio album, Middle of Nowhere, which Musgraves produced alongside longtime collaborators Daniel Tashian and Ian Fitchuk.
Kacey’s album is out everywhere on May 1st, and I can’t wait, and so far, she’s put out two songs from the 13-song tracklist, including the lead single “Dry Spell,” as well as the title track “Middle of Nowhere.” Kacey will have four features from some fellow artists as well, an absolutely stacked lineup that features Willie Nelson, Billy Strings, Gregory Alan Isakov and Mrs. Miranda Lambert herself… it’s a dream.
She of course referenced her past viral moment at Coachella in 2019, as well as her recent UFO experience in what has also become a viral story, and so she incorporated that, as well, in addition to debuting a couple new songs from the Middle of Nowhere tracklist, including one of the songs I’ve been most excited to hear, which his her duet with Willie called “Uncertain, TX.” Sadly, the red headed stranger wasn’t there in person to perform it with her, but that only makes it more exciting to hear the official studio version when the album comes out.
Kacey previously said in an interview with NPR Music’s Jewly Hight that Willie is “the patriarch of truth,” explaining that that the song is about a “town full of f***boys,” and the nature of transient modern dating behavior where Willie helps her throw some shade. She knows he might even be a “great-great-grandpa” at this point, but he’s still a gangster”:
“I had to have Willie on this song. He’s like the patriarch of truth in so many ways. It was important for him to be the narrator, because that song, ‘Uncertain, TX,’ while it is about a real town in East Texas, I had fun imagining that it’s this place where people can never really actually make up their minds.
Is it a town full of f***boys where accountability is optional and you just swipe, swipe, swipe and slide to the next option? The song is an acknowledgement of that very transient modern dating behavior after what I went through, and the perfect person to help throw a little bit of shade to that is everybody’s favorite grandpa, Willie Nelson. He might even be a great-great-grandpa, but he’s also a gangster.”
And the song certainly did not disappoint. Kacey admits that she’s been played, thinking she was in love and in hindsight, she realizes maybe that wasn’t the case:
“Here in Uncertain, Texas
I just don’t know anymore
You think you really know somebody
They may up and walk right out the door
Did you ever love me, baby?
I thought you different time to time
Here in Uncertain, Texas
Nobody ever makes up their mind”
She continues, saying that it’s pretty unbelievable such a tiny town could have “such a large amount of cowboys that just can’t get off the fence”:
“It’s weird that such a tiny town
Would have such a large amount
Of cowboys that just can’t get off the fence
But if you don’t know you’ve got it all
And your character isn’t made strong
You’re gonna blow away with the wind”
Go ahead and preach, Kacey…
The last verse, though is the winner:
“Did you ever love me, baby?
I thought you did from time to time
Here in Uncertain, Texas
Nobody ever makes up their mind
Down here in Uncertain, Texas
Nobody ever makes up their dusty, old love bomb
And snake-charming, bull***
Heart-breaking, God-forsaking dumb*** mind”
AMEN to that, queen.
Even though she’s only put out two songs from the tracklist, and debuted two more at Coachella, it feels like this album is a return of sorts to the kind of clever, witty and more country side of Kacey, and the songwriting is just top notch and I can’t wait to hear the rest of the album.
She’s back and better than ever, and I am HERE for it:
“Uncertain, TX”
And if you’re unfamiliar with Kacey and Willie’s previous duet “Are You Sure,” you’re missing out… Kacey sang it with Willie for her iconic 2015 Pageant Material album, but it was originally written by Willie and Buddy Emmons and first released by Ray Price in 1963.
“Are You Sure”
Kacey put out “Middle of Nowhere” this past Friday, which will likely be the last song she puts out from the tracklist before the full album is released in just under two weeks.
“Middle of Nowhere”
“Dry Spell”
Middle of Nowhere Tracklist:
1.Middle of Nowhere
2.Dry Spell
3.Back on the Wagon
4.I Believe in Ghosts
5.Abilene
6.Coyote feat. Gregory Alan Isakov
7.Loneliest Girl
8.Everybody Wants To Be a Cowboy feat. Billy Strings
9.Horses and Divorces feat. Miranda Lambert
10.Uncertain, Texas feat. Willie Nelson
11.Rhinestoned
12.Mexico Honey
13.Hell on Me
