Kacey Musgraves Almost Gave a Controversial Hit Song to Katy Perry
Many artists have given their songs away to other artists, who made them hits. Ne-Yo, for example, gave Beyoncé his now famous song "Irreplaceable" because he felt she could sing it better than he could.
However, some artists decide not to give away their songs and the decision turns out to be the best they have ever made. Kacey Musgraves decided not to give away a hit song, and it ended up winning a CMA award and being some of her best work to date. Read on to find out why Kacey Musgraves wanted to give her song to Katy Perry and why she backed down on her decision.
Who is Kacey Musgraves?
Kacey Musgraves is a 32-year-old singer-songwriter. She was born in August 1988 to Karen and Craig Musgraves. Musgraves began writing songs when she was eight years old. She wrote her first song called "Notice Me", which she sang at her elementary school graduation.
As a child, Ella Musgraves was always drawn to music and started playing the mandolin. Later, she switched to playing guitar when she was 12 years old. Her mother always took her to music festivals, and she was part of a country music duo with her friend Alina Tatum.
Musgraves has toured with various artists, including Katy Perry on her Prismatic World Tour and Lady Antebellum's (now Lady A) Own the Night 2012 tour. She has co-written songs for various artists, including Miranda Lambert's Mama's Broken Heart.
Musgraves has been nominated for several awards, including four nominations for the 2012 Academy of Country Music Awards. She also received four Grammy Award nominations at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards. Her nominations that year included Best Country Song, Best Country Album and Best New Artist. She took home the awards for Best Country Song and Best Country Album for her single "Merry Go Round" and album Same Trailer Different Park.
Musgraves' Song 'Follow Your Arrow' Tackles Modern Social Issues
Musgraves is known for her songwriting skills and her incredible vocal range. She has made a name for herself by going against all country music norms. Her refusal to conform to the norms of country music has made her a fan favorite and enemy of radio.
Musgraves' hit song "Follow Your Arrow" speaks to potentially controversial topics that most country singers otherwise reject. The song covers bold topics like same-sex relationships, LGBTQ acceptance, body shaming, and marijuana smoking.
While all of these issues are what new-age listeners are grappling with on a daily basis and love to hear, country radio was not kind to Musgraves. Her bold choice of topics to cover on the song baffled many in the industry, and country radio was at a loss as to how to classify the song.
"Follow Your Arrow" does not fall into any of the country radio categories, and therefore they refused to give it the necessary airplay it deserves. For many country singers, radio airplay is crucial to taking their career to the next level, and Musgraves' song didn't get enough airplay.
She almost gave the song to pop star Katy Perry
Heat wave got me like...🔥🌊 ICYMI #ChampagneProblems is here to bless ur timelines https://t.co/xZrLHdh7NN pic.twitter.com/C1BvHdJ08K
— KATY PERRY (@katyperry) September 5, 2020
Musgraves is undeniably talented, and her smooth voice on the song "Follow Your Arrow" can't be overstated. However, when the 32-year-old singer wrote the song, she thought about gifting it to pop star Katy Perry.
Musgraves' reasoning at the time was that Perry had a large following that consisted in part of members of the LGBTQ community. She therefore felt that Perry would be better able to convey her message to her fans. Perry is also known for her 2008 song "I Kissed a Girl" which received mixed reactions due to the controversial nature of it.
However, Musgraves stated that Perry heard "Follow Your Arrow" and recognized how good it was, but she thought no one could deliver it better than Musgraves, according to CMT. Perry reportedly wanted Musgraves to sing the song because it was her story and she felt no one else could tell it better than she could.
For how well the song has worked out for her, it seems we all have Perry to thank for turning the song down and allowing Musgraves to tell us the story.
