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PEOPLE & ARTS Friday 13 april 2018
Q&A: Country's Kacey Musgraves

on evolving sound, marriage

By MESFIN FEKADU
NEW YORK (AP) — Kacey
Musgraves and Harry Styles
might sound like an odd
pairing for a tour, but for
Musgraves, it makes per-
fect sense.
That's because Musgraves
is happy to bring country
music to new and unex-
In this May 27, 2017 file photo, actress Mariska Hargitay at- pected audiences and, at
tends the Hamptons Magazine Memorial Day Soiree in South- the same time, continue to
ampton, N.Y. H expand her own sound, like
Associated Press
she does on her recently re-
Mariska Hargitay leased third album, where
influences
include
the
Sade and the Bee Gees.
takes her advocacy "I've always wanted to be
the kind of artist that can
for sex victims to HBO play Bonnaroo or Coachel-
la and then turn around
and play a country festi-
val. I love both sides of the
By JOHN CARUCCI result, hundreds of thou- coin — whether it's going
Associated Press sands of kits are back- on tour with Willie Nelson or
NEW YORK (AP) — Portray- logged, with many never Katy Perry," she said in a re-
ing a heroic sex crimes de- tested. cent interview with The As-
tective on television has "I just couldn't compre- sociated Press.
provided Mariska Hargitay hend that in this country "Golden Hour," which de- In this March 28, 2018 photo, singer Kacey Musgraves poses
with a platform to help this was going on. That buted at No. 1 on Billboard's for a portrait in New York to promote her third album, "Golden
Hour.”
sexual assault victims in they were stockpiling rape country albums chart this Associated Press
real life. kits," Hargitay said. week, sticks to Musgraves'
Hargitay, who stars as The documentary also ex- country roots, but the re- Day One just being your- all of these things can live,
Detective Olivia Benson amines the victim blaming sult is more pop-leaning self, you really don't owe (along) with the things that
in the police procedural that some rape survivors compared to her first two anything to anybody from inspire me about country
"Law and Order: SVU," encounter from law en- full-length albums. She said then on. There's a lot of music?' Like, pedal steel
has turned her clout as an forcement officers who while crafting the songs she freedom in just coming out guitar, banjo, my country
advocate for victims into aren't properly trained. was "trying to think bigger, and just saying, 'This is me. center, my organic center.
the upcoming HBO docu- Hargitay started the Joyful think more globally." And if you like it, cool and It was real important for
mentary, "I Am Evidence," Heart Foundation in 2004 "I'm really excited for this re- if not, that's fine, too.' It's people not to hear this
where she also serves as as a means to help victims cord to reach an audience been really fun over the and go, 'Where's Kacey?
producer. of sexual assault heal from that I haven't reached years, just following those Where'd she go? This is the
"I feel like I was given a gift their emotional trauma. yet with my other music. inspirations and just kind third album. Oh, she just
with this role. I was given She said sexual assault sur- One thing that I've always of rolling with it, whether its tried to get weird for weird's
a platform. It was a way vivors have reached out been very proud of is when country or not. sake.' No, it's like, I was very
for me to respond. I've to her through letters and someone says, 'I don't like I love the idea of country adamant about finding the
had the privilege of hav- emails. Over time, she re- country music, but I love music translating to people balance and not losing my
ing had so many survivors alized that Benson serves your music.' That's a huge of all kinds, everywhere. spirit or my character within
share their stories with me, as a role model for their compliment to me. I love And it doesn't have to be all of this, but also evolving.
and I feel a responsibility unheard voices, and want being an ambassador." about only five subject AP: Are you excited to go
to that," Hargitay said. to make sure they are Musgraves has been play- matters, tailgates and beer. on tour with Harry Styles?
She admits backing the heard. ing the new songs on the Those are great things, but Musgraves: I love the chal-
documentary was driven While the film deals with road with Little Big Town, country music — real coun- lenge of being put with
by her "own outrage" of how rape victims are and she'll reach more — try music — is about life, an artist that you normally
the way victims of sexual treated, Hargitay envi- and new — fans when the and that's what this album probably wouldn't think to
assault are treated by the sions a world where sexual two-time Grammy winner is about. put me with. I think it's a
system. "People say, 'why assault never happens opens for the former One AP: Was the goal of reach- brilliant combination, espe-
did you make this movie?' again. Hargitay feels fixing Direction member on June ing more people in the cially considering where his
I said because I was really these problems are more 5. back of your mind when album ... the direction that
mad," Hargitay said. basic than we realize. Musgraves talks about her you were recording? went. When I got asked to
The film, which premieres "Compassion and empa- new album, switching up Musgraves: A lot of influ- do it I was like, 'Yes, I can
Monday on HBO, focuses thy would heal so much, her sound, tripping on acid ences were in my ear going totally see this being so fun
on four survivors whose and it's so simple. Women and more. into making this. I'm a big and making sense.' And I
rape kits went untested have carried this burden AP: How do you feel that fan of Sade and I grew up honestly think that his fans
for years. Part of the prob- for so long, and it's men you've grown in the last listening to her and the Bee are going to dig the record.
lem is that many states that need to engage," Har- couple of years? Gees and Neil Young and And they may not know
have no legislation that gitay said. "Everything we Musgraves: I feel like I've all these things, Imogen anything about country
demands testing within a need to know we learned grown in a lot of ways... If Heap and Daft Punk. I was music, but hopefully they
reasonable period. As a in kindergarten."q you kind of start off from like, 'Where's a world where like it.q