Why Kacey Musgraves Won Bonnaroo 2019

The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival isn’t a competition, per se, but Kacey Musgraves won the weekend, hands down.

The Texas-born singer-songwriter made her third-ever performance at Manchester, Tennessee‘s Great Stage Park (also known as “The Farm” by Bonnaroovians) one for the ages, and it seems like it was always meant to be that way.

Musgraves’ return to ‘Roo was one of the most hyped aspects of the lineup, despite the fact that she didn’t receive headliner booking. Her 2013 and 2015 outings at the festival were either fans’ highlights of the respective years or the top spot on their “I can’t believe I missed that” lists. In 2018, Musgraves fame rose to new heights, with her album Golden Hour taking home Album of the Year at the Grammys and producing songs with crossover appeal like “High Horse” and “Butterflies.”

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She became a hot commodity for venues and festivals, even landing on Coachella’s lineup. However, as the Coachella’s crowd’s infamous “when I say ‘yee,’ you say ‘haw’” gaffe proves, none of these shows were as perfect of a fit for Musgraves as Bonnaroo.

Aside from overall hype, Musgraves’ Golden Hour era and Bonnaroo’s tone have so much in common. Positive vibes, bright colors and a touch of Southern hospitality run through both the “Follow Your Own Arrow” singer and the Tennessee mega-fest. As soon as the 30-year-old star stepped on stage draped in a bohemian gown to sing the Golden Hour opener “Slow Burn,” the connection was clear, and history was made.

Musgraves truly embraced the psychedelic aspects of the festival and the mellow vibe of a Saturday evening set on The Farm (which appropriately occurred at the “golden hour”) as she went into track after track from her latest record, including “Space Cowboy,” “Rainbow” and “Wonder Woman.” She released a crop of globe balloons into the crowd during “Lonely Weekend” that led to a beautiful image whether you were in the midst of the masses or watching from afar.

The fun continued as Musgraves released more colorful balloons into the audience, and later broke the dreamy ballad vibe with the upbeat “Velvet Elvis,” complete with a properly executed “when I say ‘yee,’ you say ‘haw’” moment, to match.

To add to the night’s special moments, Musgraves debuted an ethereal cover of The Flaming Lips’ existential anthem “Do You Realize??” that served as a moment of introspection before the galloping set-ender “High Horse.”

As Musgraves discoed the evening away, it clear to see that her set was an instant classic and any artist playing Bonnaroo should strive to even remotely replicate in the future.