Kacey Musgraves and Miranda Lambert Surprise Fans at Gruene Hall: ‘Tonight We Bury the Hatchet’
The superstars joined forces to perform “Horses and Divorces” for the first time ever.
Kacey Musgraves, Miranda Lambert; Photos via Instagram
Kacey Musgraves and Miranda Lambert united on stage at Gruene Hall in New Braunfels, Texas, to perform their buzzed-about duet “Horses and Divorces” together for the first time ever.
On the final night of a three-night run at Gruene Hall in celebration of her new album, Middle of Nowhere, Musgraves surprised the crowd when she welcomed Lambert to the stage.
“Us East Texas gotta stick together, alright,” she said before welcoming her fellow Texan to the stage.
In a moment captured by fans on social media, the audience could be heard shouting loudly, cheering them on.
Lambert greeted Musgraves with a hug and admitted “tonight we bury the hatchet,” referring to their previous feud.
As the crowd continued to cheer, the superstars joined together to perform “Horses and Divorces.”
Musgraves and Lambert’s friend and co-writer, Shane McAnally, was also there to witness the moment. He documented it on social media, writing, “this definitely felt like a fever dream. The best fever dream I ever had. Love you Miranda Lambert/ Kacey Musgraves.”
He also shared an adorable selfie with the artists, captioning it, “Hell just froze over,” referencing a line in the song.
In a recent interview with Variety, Musgraves opened up about patching things up with Lambert after confirming what fans had long speculated—that she and Lambert had a “grass-fed, grade A” beef.
Their tension traces back to an early career moment for Musgraves involving the song “Mama’s Broken Heart.” At the time, she had hoped it would be her breakout track, but ultimately stepped aside and allowed Miranda Lambert to record it instead. As we all know, it went on to become a major hit.
While the experience later helped establish Musgraves as a respected songwriter in Nashville, she was left frustrated by watching a song she connected with become a defining moment in someone else’s career.
Years later, Musgraves said she was scrolling on Instagram when she came across a post of Lambert riding one of her horses. In that moment, she realized: “Well, I guess we have two things in common: horses and divorces.”
Musgraves said the idea instantly sparked a song concept.
“Then I took it a step further: ‘What if I write it with her? What if it’s a duet? F**k it, I’m gonna reach out.’ I hadn’t spoken to her in years and was like, ‘Hey, I have this idea. If anybody would get it, it would be you. We’ve had our s**t over the years, but this would be really funny.’ And she was like, ‘I’m down,’” Musgraves recalled.
They went on to write the song with McAnally, and it became one of the final tracks to make the cut for Middle of Nowhere.
“I mean, it’s real and that’s why I love this song, because it’s not coming from some contrived place in a writing room,” she told the publication. “We’ve come together after years of really, honestly, not being friends.”
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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