Four years ago, Kacey Musgraves gave us star-crossed, and my life hasn’t been the same since. Released in September 2021 via MCA Nashville Records, the album followed Kacey on a personal journey of heartache and healing, one that became a soundtrack for so many of us navigating our own seasons of love and loss.

This era has always been one of my favorites from Kacey. The album meant so much to me that I even have the font/art tattooed on my arm as a reminder of what it gave me during a time when I needed it most.

Music really does have that kind of power, to remind you you’re not alone, to show you pieces of yourself you didn’t know were there, and to teach you lessons you’ll carry forever. For me, the star-crossed era was both hurtful and beautiful. It showed me so much about love, life, and myself.

I think that’s the magic of music; we all hear and interpret songs differently, each track hitting in a way that’s unique to our own experiences. star-crossed felt like one of those projects where the songs reached us all on different levels, but still brought us together in the rawness of heartbreak.

When the record dropped, we also learned that Kacey had written over 39 songs for the project (as she shared with Rolling Stone back in 2021) before narrowing it down to the ones that made the final cut. To make it even more special, she released a companion film of the same name, which premiered on Paramount+ the same day the album arrived, September 10th, 2021.

The star-crossed era lived on through the Star-Crossed: Unveiled tour, and I was lucky enough to catch Kacey in Atlanta, she killed it. Seeing the songs come to life on stage made the album’s impact hit even harder.

To celebrate the fourth anniversary, Kacey is giving fans a treat: all star-crossed merch is 25% off for 24 hours only. So grab your merch, stream the film, and revisit the album that remains one of the most iconic and personal records in her catalog. It’s star-crossed throwback time, baby.