Remember When Kacey Musgraves Released Her Revolutionary Debut Single?
Kacey Musgraves scored her biggest hit at country radio with her debut single, "Merry Go 'Round," in 2012, but she didn't get to release it without a fight.
Musgraves was a newly signed artist at Mercury Nashville when she recorded her landmark debut album, Same Trailer, Different Park. In a post to Instagram on Thursday (Aug. 25), she shared the untold story of her hard road to convince the record company to release the song to country radio as the album's lead single.
"On this day in 2012, "Merry Go 'Round" started to be released to radio," she writes, adding that she was "exhausted" at the time after a radio tour to drum up support.
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"I had written this with @shanemcanally and @joshosbornesongwriter down in Texas. I had fought like hell for this song to be my first single. Was explicitly told it was 'too depressing' and 'slow' for a new female artist to ever release," Musgraves adds.
"Merry Go 'Round" is a perfect introduction to Musgraves' clever wordplay and the world-weary sense of small town ennui that pervades many of her best songs. "Mary Mary quite contrary / We get bored so we get married / And just like dust we settle in this town / On this broken merry go 'round," Musgraves sings in the chorus.
"Merry Go 'Round" ended up reaching No. 10 on Billboard's Country Airplay chart, and the song went on to win a Grammy for Best Country Song at the 56th Grammy Awards. Musgraves is glad she went to bat for the song she believed in.
"I was prepared to go down in flames. I knew the song connected with people because it connected with me but I never dreamed it would win a Grammy for Song of the Year and be the most successful song I've had at radio to date," Musgraves states.
"Forever grateful for all of you who proved me right and made this little thing spin."
Sarah Buxton was among the IG followers who commented on Musgraves' post, writing, "You paved the way for so many female artists to approach their career with an open heart and not worry about genre."
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