Kacey Musgraves' seventh studio album, Middle Of Nowhere, is bursting with clever lyrics and playful melodies, distilled from what Musgraves described as a place of "aloneness, not loneliness."

‘Hell On Me’ is the final track of the album and sits as an acoustic ballad. Whilst directed at her ex-partner, there is an element of addressing herself, too, with Musgraves finding clarity and letting go of the guilt and sadness of the past.

Musgraves has spoken about the influence of Mexican music on the country music industry–particularly her individual sound–and wanted to honour that in her music.

This track emulates that beautifully as Musgraves’ gentle vocals combine harmoniously with a delicate mandolin to echo the fragility of the track.

While Middle Of Nowhere has a lot of fun, flirty, carefree elements to it, ‘Hell On Me’ is a poignant love letter at the end of the album. Musgraves writes directly to her ex and gives a cards on the table, pulled apart and processed idea as to why their relationship broke down.

It’s beautifully simple, exploring her desire to save someone else at the expense of her own identity. "Watched you leavin’, runnin’ from demons, tryin’ to change you changed me," suggests that the version of her that showed up in the beginning wasn’t the version that left in the end.

“I always do this, wind up losin’ my light in someone else’s dark,” references how she faded away while trying to show up for her partner. Musgraves tried to be the saviour, the "angel," but the task was made impossible by the circumstances echoing the complete antithesis of a heavenly figure, inflicting “hell on me.”

There is a finality to this song, and not just because it comes at the end of the album. The simplicity to the melody and calmness of Musgraves’ voice conveys peace. She has wrangled her relationship with her past, letting go of guilt and sorrow, and accepts it now for what it was.

It feels like a sigh of relief, a big burden left in the middle of nowhere, allowing Musgraves to forge a new path forward and focus on her relationship with herself.

“I don't hate you, tried to make you
Into someone you couldn't be
Watched you leavin', runnin' from demons
Tryin' to change you changed me

You've got your version of how it went down
And I've had some time to kinda sorta sort it all out
And I don't wanna blame you but honestly
I tried to be your angel but you made it hell on me

I always do this, wind up losin'
My light in someone else's dark
I know I'm probably gonna run right into you someday
I know I won't know how to act or what I'm gonna say
It may be a disaster, but it doesn't matter anyway

'Cause you've got your version of how it went down
And I've had some time to kinda sorta sort it all out
And I don't wanna blame you but honestly, mm-mm
I tried to be your angel but you made it hell on me

Yeah, you've got your version of how it went down
And I've had some time to do the work to sort it all out
And I don't wanna blame you but honestly, mm-mm
I tried to be your angel but you made it hell on me”

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Kacey Musgraves

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