User ratings in Music are temporarily disabled. More info
  • Record Label:
  • Release Date:
Golden Hour Image
Metascore
89

Universal acclaim - based on 18 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.7

Universal acclaim- based on 519 Ratings

  • Summary: The seventh full-length release for the country singer-songwriter was co-produced with Daniel Tashian and Ian Fitchuk.
Buy Now
Buy on

Top Track

Butterflies
I was just coasting, never really going anywhere Caught up in a web, I was getting kind of use to staying there And out of the blue I fell for... See the rest of the song lyrics
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 18
  2. Negative: 0 out of 18
  1. Mar 29, 2018
    100
    It’s an album that imagines a world in which its author is the mainstream, rather than an influential outlier. It says something about its quality that, by the time it’s finished, that doesn’t seem a fanciful notion at all.
  2. Mar 28, 2018
    91
    Musgraves hits one high note after another on Golden Hour; her talent as a songwriter and melody-maker is second to none, and each song is thoughtful, well-formed, and a delightful experience on its own. Together, the tracks on Golden Hour add up to an honest, cohesive musical experience that will linger in your mind and heart long after the final notes have faded.
  3. Mar 31, 2018
    90
    [A] knockout ... In a funny way, the radical optimism of "Golden Hour" feels far more rebellious than any of Musgraves' earlier work.
  4. Apr 2, 2018
    87
    Less concerned with outside forces than internal balance, Golden Hour stands as an assured, artful snapshot of a particular rush of feelings, but its wisdom speaks volumes to Musgraves’ ongoing evolution.
  5. May 23, 2018
    80
    Golden Hour is a bedazzled, wide-eyed rush.
  6. Mar 28, 2018
    80
    An album this endlessly chill might get boring in a less talented songwriter’s hands, but Musgraves never fails to draw listeners into her reverie.
  7. May 9, 2018
    60
    Whilst 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 that has served her so well so far in her career, all too often, Golden Hour delivers a lackluster vibe and a feeling that Musgraves has become too infatuated with the pop side of her artistry and is beginning to forget about the things that made her so interesting and worth investing in in the first place.

See all 18 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 83 out of 93
  2. Negative: 5 out of 93
  1. May 13, 2018
    10
    This Album shows how much Kacey have grown as an artist. Every song its perfect in their own unique way.
  2. Apr 2, 2018
    10
    "Golden Hour" is an extraordinary album on every level. It's a perfect blend of country, pop, and folk. The lyrics are more personal than on"Golden Hour" is an extraordinary album on every level. It's a perfect blend of country, pop, and folk. The lyrics are more personal than on her past albums, and they add a lot of depth to the already wonderful melodies. It's easily the best album of the year so far, and one of the best albums of this entire decade. I'll be shocked if this doesn't win Album of the Year at the Grammys. Expand
  3. Aug 31, 2019
    10
    Country music is always true but not always beautiful. Kacey did both and set a world you can just sleep and enjoy. From slow burn to rainbow,Country music is always true but not always beautiful. Kacey did both and set a world you can just sleep and enjoy. From slow burn to rainbow, you can never feel it boring. Expand
  4. Jun 11, 2021
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. perfect album! she deserve most succesful of the world, she is brillant omg i love her Expand
  5. Nov 6, 2021
    10
    While I'm very generous with my ratings on Metacritic, Golden Hour is one of my 5 true 10/10s (the only others being Lorde's 2017 "Melodrama",While I'm very generous with my ratings on Metacritic, Golden Hour is one of my 5 true 10/10s (the only others being Lorde's 2017 "Melodrama", and Taylor Swift's 2012 "Red" (will likely be replaced with Red (Taylor's Version) on Friday), 2014 "1989", and 2020 "folklore"). Golden Hour is an album I listen to almost daily even 3.5 years since its release. The way she explores the first feelings of love, and living for the hope of it all is just simply amazing. Musically it makes it perfect to listen during sunrises and sunsets and just gives a reason to get out of bed. This album top to bottom is phenomenal but the clear highlights are "Butterflies," "Slow Burn," "Happy and Sad," "High Horse," "Space Cowboy," and "Golden Hour." Expand
  6. Feb 13, 2019
    9
    Kacey Musgraves is beautiful.... I have nothing to tell more. I am sure she once will bring modern a country to even more qualitative and highKacey Musgraves is beautiful.... I have nothing to tell more. I am sure she once will bring modern a country to even more qualitative and high level as in due time I have made it Taylor Swift.
    The finest lyrics and each note inspires..... Great
    Expand
  7. Apr 21, 2022
    0
    hediondacey mush!t retirate, Taydiosa Swiftodopoderosa tu eterna patrona flopera inmunda

See all 93 User Reviews

Related Articles

  1. The Best Albums of 2018

    The Best Albums of 2018 Image
    Published: December 22, 2018
    We reveal the 40 highest-scoring album releases of the year, as well as some of 2018's bests and worsts in other music categories.
  2. Best of 2018: Music Critic Top Ten Lists

    Best of 2018: Music Critic Top Ten Lists Image
    Published: November 26, 2018
    Over the next month, we'll be collecting year-end top 10 album lists from over 200 music critics, publications, record stores, and other sources. Find all of the individual lists and 2018's consensus rankings inside.
  3. The 25 Best Albums of 2018 So Far

    The 25 Best Albums of 2018 So Far Image
    Published: July 3, 2018
    We rank the 25 highest-scoring albums released during the first half of 2018.