Ahead of the release of her highly-anticipated fourth studio album Star-Crossed on September 10, Kacey Musgraves will be sharing the album’s second single “Justified” with a video premiering exclusively on MTV and CMT tonight.
The announcement comes alongside news that the country superstar has been added to the lineup for MTV’s 2021 Video Music Awards, airing live from Brooklyn, New York’s Barclays Center on September 12. Musgraves will be performing the album’s title track, released earlier this week alongside the announcement of the album.
The premiere and performance are part of a partnership formed between MTV Entertainment Group and the streaming service Paramount+ paired with Musgraves for a global cross-brand takeover.
“Kacey Musgraves is an unstoppable entertainer and we are thrilled to have her partner with MTV Entertainment Group!” said Bruce Gillmer, Chief Content Officer, Music, Paramount+ and President of Music, Music Talent, Programming & Events, ViacomCBS. “From what will be an unforgettable first-time VMAs’ performance to orchestrating a cross-brand premiere of her new single tied to her highly-anticipated “star-crossed” album and film, streaming exclusively on Paramount+ this September, we’re excited to be part of her next chapter as both an artist and creative.”
Star-Crossed: The Film begins streaming on Paramount+ on September 10. The 50-minute film stars Musgraves and presents a transformative visual event within the music of the album. The movie was shot by Academy Award-nominated cinematographer Matthew Libatique and filmed over 10 days in Los Angeles. Bardia Zeinali serves as the film’s director.
With Musgraves in the starring role, the film also recruits appearances from actors Eugene Levy and Victoria Pedretti, singer-songwriter Princess Nokia, RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Symone and comedian Megan Stalter.
“We wanted it to feel cinematic and epic without compromising the heart and the emotion,” Zeinali said in a statement, “to feel fantastical and heightened and tell her story through the lens of art and fashion.”