"Justified"
Single by Kacey Musgraves
from the album Star-Crossed
ReleasedAugust 27, 2021
GenreCountry pop[1]
Length3:01
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Kacey Musgraves singles chronology
"Easy" (remix)
(2020)		 "Justified"
(2021)		 "Camera Roll"
(2022)
Music video
"Justified" on YouTube

"Justified" is a song by American country music artist Kacey Musgraves. It was released on August 27, 2021, as the lead single from Musgraves' fifth studio album, Star-Crossed, released on September 10, 2021. Musgraves co-wrote the song with Ilsey Juber, BJ Burton and Ian Fitchuk, and produced it with Fitchuk and Daniel Tashian.[2]

Content

In an interview with Elle in May 2021, Musgraves talked about the inspiration for the song, her divorce with Ruston Kelly: "I felt, in many ways, on top of the world in my career, but in my personal life, I felt like I was dying inside. I was crumbling. I was sad. I felt lonely. I felt broken."[3]

Matt Doria of NME pointed out that the song "serve[s] as a poignant reflection on Musgraves' divorce from country singer Ruston Kelly".[4] Andy Sahadeo of Nicki Swift described the song as "a somber contemplation of the singer's personal life over the past few years".[5]

Critical reception

Jason Friedman of Paste felt that the track "recalls some of the warmth of previous album Golden Hour, with the track serving as an uptempo reminder that 'healing doesn't happen in a straight line,' as the singer wrestles with the different mood cycles that follow a breakup."[6]

Music video

The music video was directed by Bardia Zeinali, and taken from the film Star-Crossed.[7] The video begins with Musgraves "driving solemnly through a desert while listening to a commercial on love counseling from the car radio". She drives through "different environments and weather, likes a green-lit tunnel, a snowy forest, rain, an urban city, and an autumn highway".[8]

Commercial performance

"Justified" debuted at number 31 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart dated September 11, 2021.[9] After the album was released, it climbed to number 22 on the chart dated September 25, 2021.[10]

Live performance

On October 2, 2021, Musgraves performed the song on the 47th season of Saturday Night Live.[11]

Charts

Chart performance for "Justified"
Chart (2021) Peak
position
Australia Country Top 50 (TMN)[12] 12
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[13] 23
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (Billboard)[14] 2
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[15] 28
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[16] 21
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[17] 22
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[18] 37
US Rock Airplay (Billboard)[19] 50

Release history

Release history for "Justified"
Region Date Format Label Ref.
Various August 27, 2021
  • Digital download
  • streaming
 [20]
United States September 13, 2021 Adult contemporary radio MCA Nashville [21]
Adult alternative radio [22]
September 14, 2021 Contemporary hit radio [23]

References

  1. ↑ Seliger, Sam (September 12, 2021). "Kacey Musgraves Shares New Single "Justified"". Glasse Factory. Archived from the original on October 20, 2021. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Kacey Musgraves Releases New Song "justified"". Pm Studio. August 27, 2021. Archived from the original on September 1, 2021. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  3. ↑ Hyland, Veronique (May 20, 2021). "Kacey Musgraves Is In Her Feelings". Elle. Archived from the original on September 10, 2021. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  4. ↑ Doria, Matt (August 27, 2021). "Kacey Musgraves embraces healing pains on new single "justified"". NME. Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  5. ↑ Sahadeo, Andy (August 27, 2021). "The Real Meaning Behind Kacey Musgraves' 'Justified'". Nicki Swift. Archived from the original on October 20, 2021. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  6. ↑ Friedman, Jason (August 27, 2021). "Kacey Musgraves Shares Another New Single, "justified"". Paste. Archived from the original on September 1, 2021. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  7. ↑ Hussey, Allison (August 27, 2021). "Watch Kacey Musgraves' Video for New Song "Justified"". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  8. ↑ Serrano, Athena (August 27, 2021). "Kacey Musgraves Releases Heartbreak Anthem 'Justified'". MTV. Archived from the original on September 23, 2021. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Hot Country Songs: September 11, 2021". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 5, 2021. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  10. ↑ "Hot Country Songs: September 25, 2021". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 5, 2021. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  11. ↑ Hudak, Joseph (October 3, 2021). "Kacey Musgraves Performs 'Star-Crossed' Songs on 'SNL' Season Premiere". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 15, 2021. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  12. ↑ "Countrytown Top 50" (Issue 1367). The Music Network. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  13. ↑ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. September 6, 2021. Archived from the original on October 7, 2021. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  14. ↑ "Kacey Musgraves Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  15. ↑ "Kacey Musgraves Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  16. ↑ "Kacey Musgraves Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  17. ↑ "Kacey Musgraves Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  18. ↑ "Kacey Musgraves Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
  19. ↑ "Kacey Musgraves Chart History (Rock Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  20. ↑ "Kacey Musgraves - Justified". Discogs. Archived from the original on October 20, 2021. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  21. ↑ "Future Releases for Hot/Modern/AC Radio Stations". All Access. Archived from the original on September 10, 2021. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  22. ↑ "Future Releases for Triple A Radio Stations". All Access. Archived from the original on September 8, 2021. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
  23. ↑ "Top 40 Mainstream Future Releases". All Access. Archived from the original on September 10, 2021. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
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