Horses and Divorces

"Horses and Divorces"
Song by Kacey Musgraves featuring Miranda Lambert
from the album Middle of Nowhere
ReleasedMay 1, 2026
GenreCountry
Length2:43
LabelLost Highway
Songwriters
Producers
Lyric video
"Horses and Divorces" on YouTube

"Horses and Divorces" is a song by American singer and songwriter Kacey Musgraves from her seventh studio album, Middle of Nowhere (2026). Featuring American singer Miranda Lambert, it was written by the two artists alongside Shane McAnally.

Background

The song marks the end of a feud between the two singers that began in 2011, when Musgraves wrote Lambert's song "Mama's Broken Heart". Musgraves had planned to record the song as her debut single, but it was pitched to Lambert without her consent or knowledge. Lambert really wanted the song, which Musgraves reluctantly gave to her and went on to become a major success. Although the song boosted her reputation as a songwriter, Musgraves developed resentment toward Lambert as a result and they lost touch.

After a decade of tension, the two reconciled after Musgraves saw an Instagram post of Lambert riding one of her horses. She realized they both shared common ground through their love of horses and their experiences with divorce, which inspired an idea for a song. Musgraves subsequently reached out to Lambert about collaborating on the track. During their writing session, Lambert expressed gratitude to Musgraves for writing "Mama's Broken Heart", which she credited with contributing to the continued success of her career.[1][2][3]

Composition

The song is a waltz composed of an undulating drum pattern, steel guitar and accordion,[3][4][5] alongside norteño influences[4] and a mariachi band.[6][7] In the lyrics, the singers first addresses their past issues, acknowledging that they have exchanged subtle disses over the years.[3][7] before bonding over shared interests and experiences, such as horses, divorces, drinking alcohol, their Texas backgrounds, Willie Nelson's music, smoking and cursing.[3][7][4][8][9] In one line, Lambert jokes about Musgraves's fondness for marijuana, while Musgraves responds with a reference to Lambert's love of pyrotechnics.[9] They dismiss their feud as "whiskey under the bridge".[5][4]

Critical reception

The song received generally positive reviews. Carena Liptak of Taste of Country ranked it as the third best song from Middle of Nowhere,[10] while Billboard placed it at number 12 in their ranking of the 13 tracks on Middle of Nowhere, calling it a "fun novelty song that buries the hatchet and entertains, but seems like a bit of an outlier."[7] Maxim Mower of Holler considered the song a "wonderfully traditional ode" to the artists' Texas heritage and described their Southern drawls as charismatic.[3] Laura Snapes of The Guardian described the song as "country's 'Girl, So Confusing'", calling it a "reconciliatory – but raucous – duet with old foe Miranda Lambert that resounds with the lightness of letting go."[11] Lindsey Zoldaz of The New York Times called it a "hilarious and gorgeously lush duet".[12] Reviewing Middle of Nowhere for NME, Cordelia Lam described the song as "camp", "catty" and among the "familiar flashes of Musgraves' quintessential comic bite."[13] Maya Georgi of Rolling Stone described it as "supremely Texan and quite great to hear" the two singers "go bar for bar".[5]

Charts

Chart performance for "Horses and Divorces"
Chart (2026) Peak
position
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[14] 19
US Billboard Hot 100[15]84
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[16]23

References

  1. ↑ Hight, Jewly (March 11, 2026). "On her new album, Kacey Musgraves returns home, to the 'Middle of Nowhere'". NPR. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
  2. ↑ Willman, Chris (April 29, 2026). "Kacey Musgraves' Country Homecoming: The Singer on New Album 'Middle of Nowhere,' Ending Miranda Lambert Feud… and Embracing Self-Pleasure". Variety. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Mower, Maxim (April 30, 2026). "'Horses and Divorces' by Kacey Musgraves & Miranda Lambert - Lyrics & Meaning". Holler. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 4 O'Brien, Molly Maren (May 1, 2026). "Kacey Musgraves: Middle of Nowhere Album Review". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on May 1, 2026. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 Georgi, Maya (April 30, 2026). "Kacey Musgraves Heads Home to Find Some Truth on Middle of Nowhere". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on April 30, 2026. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
  6. ↑ O'Connor, Roisin (May 1, 2026). "Kacey Musgraves, Middle of Nowhere review – Country's most boundary-pushing artist regains her old spikiness". The Independent. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Nicholson, Jessica; Newman, Melinda (May 1, 2026). "Kacey Musgraves' 'Middle of Nowhere': All 13 Tracks Ranked". Billboard. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
  8. ↑ Yeung, Neil Z. "Middle of Nowhere Review". AllMusic. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
  9. 1 2 Liptak, Carena (May 1, 2026). "Kacey Musgraves + Miranda Lambert Hash Out Their Beef in Real Time on 'Horses and Divorces'". Taste of Country. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
  10. ↑ Liptak, Carena (May 1, 2026). "Every Song on Kacey Musgraves' 'Middle of Nowhere' Album, Ranked". Taste of Country. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
  11. ↑ Snapes, Laura (May 1, 2026). "Kacey Musgraves: Middle of Nowhere Review – Weary, Rootsy and Wry, It's Her Richest Album Since Golden Hour". The Guardian. Archived from the original on May 1, 2026. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
  12. ↑ Zoldaz, Lindsey (May 1, 2026). "Kacey Musgraves Sounds Right at Home in the Middle of Nowhere". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 1, 2026. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
  13. ↑ Lam, Cordelia (May 1, 2026). "Kacey Musgraves – Middle of Nowhere Review: A Country Heroine's Journey Back to Her Roots". NME. Archived from the original on May 2, 2026. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
  14. ↑ "Hot 40 Singles". Recorded Music NZ. May 8, 2026. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
  15. ↑ "Kacey Musgraves Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
  16. ↑ "Kacey Musgraves Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 11, 2026.
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