KACEY ACES IT

Getting back into the swing of touring and performing after a week that was, as Kacey Musgraves so eloquently put it herself, “pretty fucking amazing,” the Album of the Year winner performed a stunning, triumphant set at The Theatre at Ace Hotel on Thursday night.

After she walked away with a total of four Grammys on Sunday night in Los Angeles, this show felt like a homecoming, despite Musgraves being a native of Texas. The powerful energy that swept through the sold-out crowd was the feeling that “our” girl finally got her shine with 2018’s critically acclaimed Golden Hour. Kacey’s devoted fans have been ready for the country underdog’s genre-crossing star moment, and when the victorious set began with dreamy opener “Slow Burn,” the room burst with pride and joy that Musgraves no longer has to convince anyone what she is.

Her catalog is now a portrait of artist development in its purest form. Tracks like “Follow Your Arrow” and “Merry Go ’Round” from 2013’s Same Trailer Different Park are blueprints for how classic country influences millennial artists. The lighthearted songs off Pageant Material display the transition to comfort and the cementing of her brand. When Kacey performs tracks off Golden Hour, there’s a special shine to them—an understanding of her own worth and showcasing of identity discovery. Justification was felt and welcomed through the entire night.

The Grammys’ stamp of approval isn’t a validation of Musgraves’ artistry. The pleasure in experiencing Kacey’s Oh What a World Tour post-Grammys stems from knowing that she won in the best way possible—by being herself.