High Horse (Kacey Musgraves song)

"High Horse" is a song written and recorded by American country music singer and songwriter Kacey Musgraves for her fourth studio album, Golden Hour (2018). Musgraves co-wrote the song with Trent Dabbs and Tom Schleiter, and co-produced the track with Ian Fitchuk and Daniel Tashian. It was first released as a digital promotional single on March 22, 2018 and later impacted American hot adult contemporary radio on June 25, 2018 as the album's third official single. An extended play of remixes was issued on July 3, 2018.

For the song by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, see High Horse.
"High Horse"
Remix EP cover
Single by Kacey Musgraves
from the album Golden Hour
ReleasedJune 25, 2018 (2018-06-25)
GenreDisco
Length3:33
LabelMCA Nashville
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Kacey Musgraves singles chronology
"Space Cowboy"
(2018)		 "High Horse"
(2018)		 "Slow Burn"
(2018)

"High Horse" reached number 36 on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and also became Musgraves's first song to crossover to pop radio, debuting and peaking at number 39 on the Adult Pop Songs airplay chart.

Content

"High Horse" is a disco song which incorporates elements of country instrumentation and layered vocals.[1][2] The song utilizes synths and a "spritely" disco beat, with the overall sound being described by Rolling Stone as the "most radical departure yet" from Musgraves's previous releases.[3] The Bee Gees and Daft Punk are cited as influences on the style of "High Horse".[3] Lyrically, the song utilizes word play and double entendres to compare a conceited individual to a prized horse, who Musgraves encourages to "giddy-up" and "ride straight out of this town."[3]

Critical reception

Margaret Farrell of Pitchfork praised the song's word play and fusion of disco and country sounds, writing that Musgraves "sure makes a great pop star," and "has opened up a fascinating new door for herself."[2] Jude Rogers of The Guardian singled out "High Horse" as a highlight of Musgraves's concert at the Bristol Hippodrome in the United Kingdom, writing that the track "shows how country can be melded brilliantly with late-70s, Chic-like disco, pointing towards a style with which Musgraves could truly conquer the world."[4] Michael Watkins of Under the Radar praised the songwriting on the track, writing that "tracks like "Butterflies" and "High Horse" offer the best of what Musgraves can do in terms of balancing her obvious charm against a certain steely underbelly."[5] Stereogum ranked the song at number two on their list of the five best songs of the week following its release, calling it "her most fun song yet."[6]

Commercial performance

"High Horse" debuted at number 39 on the Hot Country Songs chart date April 7, 2018 and rose to its peak position of 36 the following week after the release of Golden Hour.[7] Following the song's radio release, it debuted at number 39 on the Adult Pop Songs chart, becoming her first song to appear on a pop-oriented airplay chart.[8] The song notably debuted concurrently with Dan + Shay's "Tequila" (also that artist's first crossover experience), prompting discussion over the greater inclusion of country tracks on adult pop playlists.[8] On August 3, 2020, the single was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for combined sales and streaming data of over 500,000 units in the United States.[9]

Music video

An accompanying music video directed by Hannah Lux Davis premiered July 12, 2018.[10] Musgraves begins the video as an employ in an office purportedly from the 1970s with an inappropriate boss.[1] Musgraves's character fantasizes about telling off her annyoing co-workers and escaping to be with friends, resulting in surrealist daydreams involving a Japanese karaoke bar and an eventual departure from the office atop a white horse.[1] The video's style and themes have been likened to the popular 1980 film, 9 to 5.[11]

Live performances

Musgraves performed "High Horse" on The Ellen DeGeneres Show as part of her appearance on the April 3, 2018 episode.[12] She performed both "High Horse" and "Slow Burn" as the musical guest on the May 13, 2018 episode of Saturday Night Live.[13] On February 15, 2019, Musgraves brought Trinity The Tuck and Monét X Change on stage with her during a performance of "High Horse";[14] these guests were the then-recently-crowned winners of the fourth season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, on which season she served as a guest judge.[15]

Track listings
Remix EP[16]
No.TitleLength
1."High Horse" (Kue remix)4:12
2."High Horse" (Violents remix)3:41
Total length:7:53
  • Note: The track listing for 10" vinyl release of the "High Horse" remixes is identical except that track one is on Side A and track two is on Side B.[17][18]

Charts
Chart (2018) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratip Flanders)[19] 8
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[20] 39
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[21] 36

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[22] Gold 500,000

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone
sales+streaming figures based on certification alone

Release history
Country Date Format Version Label Ref.
Various March 22, 2018
Original MCA Nashville [23]
United States June 25, 2018 Hot adult contemporary [24]
Various July 3, 2018
  • Digital download
  • streaming
 Remixes [25]
November 23, 2018 10" vinyl [18]
gollark: I see!
gollark: ddg! dr stone
gollark: Filename-based transport? Novel!
gollark: Kit: I have never burned myself with a soldering iron.
gollark: Actually, iab dkwn sb sb h.

References
  1. Freeman, Jon (July 12, 2018). "See Kacey Musgraves' Glittery Disco Party in 'High Horse' Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
  2. Farrell, Margaret (March 23, 2018). ""High Horse" by Kacey Musgraves Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
  3. Gage, Jeff (March 22, 2018). "Hear Kacey Musgraves' Groovy New Disco Jam 'High Horse'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
  4. Rogers, Jude (October 24, 2018). "Kacey Musgraves review – golden disco-country loses a little sheen". The Guardian. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
  5. Watkins, Michael (May 9, 2018). "Kacey Musgraves: Golden Hour (MCA Nashville) Review". Under the Radar. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
  6. Various (March 23, 2018). "The 5 Best Songs Of The Week". Stereogum. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
  7. Asker, Jim (April 10, 2018). "Kacey Musgraves Clocks No. 1 Debut on Top Country Albums Chart With 'Golden Hour'". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 18, 2018. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
  8. Trust, Gary (August 10, 2018). "Dan + Shay, Kacey Musgraves Land Latest Crossovers From Country to Pop Radio With 'Tequila' & 'High Horse'". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 10, 2018. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
  9. "RIAA Certifications - Kacey Musgraves". Retrieved August 10, 2020.
  10. Leas, Ryan (July 12, 2018). "Kacey Musgraves Shares Retro "High Horse" Video: Watch". Stereogum. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
  11. McKenna, Lyndsey (July 12, 2018). "Giddyup Out Of The Office With Kacey Musgraves' 'High Horse'". NPR. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
  12. Tully Claymore, Gabriela (April 4, 2018). "Watch Kacey Musgraves Sing Her Sassy Disco Number "High Horse" On Ellen". Stereogum. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
  13. Hughes, Hillary (May 13, 2018). "Kacey Musgraves Performs 'Slow Burn' & 'High Horse' on 'SNL': Watch". Billboard. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
  14. Peters, Mitchell (February 16, 2019). "Kacey Musgraves Brings Out 'Drag Race' Winners Monét X Change & Trinity the Tuck at Her L.A. Concert: Watch". Billboard. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
  15. Bloom, Madison (December 22, 2018). "Watch Kacey Musgraves on "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars"". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
  16. "Album High Horse Remix, Kacey Musgraves". Qobuz. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
  17. "Kacey Musgraves - High Horse / Remixes". Discogs. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
  18. "SpecialRelease | RECORD STORE DAY > Kacey Musgraves - High Horse Remixes". Record Store Day. Archived from the original on January 5, 2019. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
  19. "Ultratop.be – Kacey Musgraves – High Horse" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  20. "Kacey Musgraves Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
  21. "Kacey Musgraves Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
  22. "American album certifications – Kacey Musgraves – High Horse". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 
  23. "High Horse - Kacey Musgraves | Release Info" (Digital Download - MCA #). AllMusic. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
  24. "Hot/Modern/AC Future Releases". All Access. Archived from the original on June 6, 2018. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
  25. "High Horse - Kacey Musgraves | Release Info" (Digital Download - MCA / MCA Nashville #). AllMusic. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
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