It's no secret that women can rock just as hard, if not harder, than men. But there seems to be a disparity when it comes to their representation in the music industry. They are topping the charts but barely getting any slots at big name festivals (this years Coachella lineup is 90 percent male). To do what we can to celebrate these women and give them the positive recognition they deserve, each week Music Times will introduce you to a female in the music industry whom we love.
Singer-songwriters, rappers, DJs, producers, filmmakers, and any woman who is part of the music industry is fair game for this segment. So read on, and get to know the women who continue to wow us. This week we'd like to show off ...
Name: Kacey Musgraves
Age: 25
Profession: Country music singer-songwriter
From: Golden, Texas
Why We Love Her: Kacey Musgraves has been making huge waves in the country music world since her debut studio album Same Trailer, Different Park was released in March. The 25-year-old reached No. 2 on the US Billboard 200 Album Chart and peaked at the top of the Country album charts. Musgraves pulled from not just the traditional country scene but also from pop, rockabilly and blues to create a new, original sound with a sweet edge.
Musgraves' country music helps to challenge what can and can not be accepted in the bigger country music scene. The traditionally conservative culture has been resistant to accept some of her music, such as "Follow Your Arrow," which mentions premarital sex, homosexuality and marijuana use, but the song is still one of the best of the year, peaking at No. 28 on the Hot Country Chart.
Background: According to Billboard, Musgraves was born in Eastern Texas and began performing at the young age of 8 and started writing at 9 years old. Even as a child, Musgraves began playing multiple instruments, such as the guitar, harmonica and mandolin. Between being a 9-year-old with a guitar and her 2007 stint on the reality competition Nashville Star, Musgraves self-released three albums: Movin' On (2002), Wanted: One Good Cowboy (2003) and Kacey Musgraves (2007).
Then, in 2007, she appeared on Nashville Star, placing seventh. The exposure allowed her into the country music scene, where she began writing songs with country bigwig Miranda Lambert. She finally got her own record deal in 2012, releasing her first major label album this March.
Fun Facts: She gave the world this amazing .gif after losing Best Female Vocalist at the 2013 CMAs.
What Now: Musgraves has been popping up on all sorts of best of 2013 lists, with albums and singles appearing on all the major sites (Rolling Stone, SPIN and Paste all have her album in their top 50). She also won Best New Artist at the 2013 CMAs, beating the likes of Florida Georgia Line. As for 2014? She's going to hit an arena tour with Lady Antebellum before doing "bucket-list, dream s---," according to an interview with Rolling Stone.
Watch: Check out the lyric video for her groundbreaking country song "Follow Your Arrow."
