Dry Spell (song)
| "Dry Spell" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Kacey Musgraves | ||||
| from the album Middle of Nowhere | ||||
| Released | March 11, 2026 | |||
| Length | 3:18 | |||
| Label | Lost Highway | |||
| Songwriters |
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| Producers |
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| Kacey Musgraves singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Dry Spell" on YouTube | ||||
"Dry Spell" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Kacey Musgraves. It was released on March 11, 2026, through Lost Highway Records. The song serves as the lead single from Musgraves' seventh studio album, Middle of Nowhere (2026).
Background and release
In February 2026, Musgraves posted on X, "Is it possible to die from horniness? Asking for a friend." The post resurfaced the following week when she reposted it shortly before the release of "Dry Spell".[1] After completing the international leg of her Deeper Well Tour, the singer announced her seventh studio album, Middle of Nowhere, scheduled for release on May 1, 2026.[2][3] "Dry Spell" was released on March 11, as the album's lead single alongside its music video;[4] the video was co-directed by Musgraves and Hannah Lux Davis.[5]
Composition
According to Consequence author Chris Coplan, "Dry Spell" is described as "boldly hilarious and self-aware", and it "blazes with sharp wit while delivering tight turns of phrase". Coplan added that the track finds Musgraves revisiting familiar musical territory with a renewed sense of enthusiasm and curiosity.[6] Lily Goldberg of Pitchfork noted that the song is framed as "a playful confession of boredom". She called the track unapologetic but "ultimately bloodless", where "the subjects of lust matter less than the fact that they don't exist".[7] The Fader's Tobias Hess noted that "Dry Spell" addresses the frustration of a "dry spell". In the opening verse, she sings, "I'm so lonely, lonely with a capital 'H' / If you know what I mean / I've been sitting on the washing machine". The chorus continues the theme through extended metaphors about longing for a partner, including the lines "Ain't nobody's tool up in my shed / Ain't nobody's boots under my bed".[8]
Critical reception
Writing for Pitchfork, Lily Goldberg remarked that the use of "y'all" indicates the song is not an attempt at seduction, contrasting it with songs such as "Roommates" by Hilary Duff, which Goldberg described as part of the "women in their late thirties can be horny, too" canon.[7] Jillian Giandurco from Nylon described the song as "twangy", "clever", and "horny",[9] while Melinda Newman of Billboard depicted the track as "humorous, twangy" song.[10] Variety's Chris Willman suggested that the song signals a broader return to the country-influenced sound and sense of humor associated with Musgraves's early work. Willman noted that its lyrics humorously depict the singer counting the days since her last relationship, highlighted by lines such as "I'm so lonely, lonely with a capital H / If you know what I mean / I've been sitting on the washing machine".[2] Erinn Callahan from American Songwriter also highlighted these lyrics, describing the track as "chock full of the witty wordplay that made Kacey Musgraves famous".[11]
Release history
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | March 11, 2026 | Lost Highway | [12] |
References
- ^ DeVille, Chris (March 11, 2026). "Kacey Musgraves Announces New Album Middle Of Nowhere Feat. Willie Nelson, Miranda Lambert, Billy Strings, & More: Hear "Dry Spell"". Stereogum. Retrieved March 12, 2026.
- ^ a b Willman, Chris (March 11, 2026). "Kacey Musgraves Announces Sixth Album, Middle of Nowhere; Witty and Racy 'Dry Spell' Video Out Now". Variety. Retrieved March 12, 2026.
- ^ Corcoran, Nina (March 11, 2026). "Kacey Musgraves Reveals New Album Middle of Nowhere and Single". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 12, 2026.
- ^ DeSantis, Rachael (March 11, 2026). "Kacey Musgraves Announces New Album Middle of Nowhere and Shares Cheeky Lead Single 'Dry Spell'". People. Retrieved March 12, 2026.
- ^ Schube, Will (March 11, 2026). "Kacey Musgraves Announces Sixth LP Middle of Nowhere, Shares "Dry Spell"". Flood. Retrieved March 12, 2026.
- ^ Coplan, Chris (March 11, 2026). "Kacey Musgraves Announces New Album Middle of Nowhere, Shares "Dry Spell": Watch". Consequence. Retrieved March 12, 2026.
- ^ a b Goldberg, Lily (March 11, 2026). "Dry Spell Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 12, 2026.
- ^ Hess, Tobias (March 11, 2026). "Kacey Musgraves announces new album Middle of Nowhere, releases coy "Dry Spell"". The Fader. Retrieved March 12, 2026.
- ^ Giandurco, Jillian (March 11, 2026). "The Kacey Musgraves Dry Spell Is Officially Over". Nylon. Retrieved March 12, 2026.
- ^ Newman, Melinda (March 11, 2026). "New Kacey Musgraves Album Coming May 1, Watch the Witty Video for New Song 'Dry Spell'". Billboard. Retrieved March 12, 2026.
- ^ Callahan, Erinn (March 11, 2026). "Kacey Musgraves Ends "Dry Spell" With New Album Announcement". American Songwriter. Retrieved March 12, 2026.
- ^ "Dry Spell - Single by Kacey Musgraves". Spotify. 2026. Retrieved March 12, 2026.