Kacey Musgraves Breaks Silence on Songwriting Dispute That Fueled Miranda Lambert Feud

Kacey Musgraves opens up about her decade-long rift with Miranda Lambert over a stolen song and how their shared "horses and divorces" led to a new duet.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 14, 2026, 5:46 AM EDT

Source: Page Six

The "Mama's Broken Heart" Debacle

Musgraves, now 37, explained that at the start of her career, she was working as a staff writer in Nashville. She had intended "Mama’s Broken Heart" to be her breakout single, but because Lambert was already an established titan in the genre, the song was diverted to her 2011 album, Four the Record. While Musgraves eventually found massive success with "Merry Go Round," the sting of losing a song she felt defined her voice created an immediate barrier between the two artists. "It was a tricky situation," Musgraves recalled, noting that the competitive nature of being "two singers from nearby small Texas towns" only added to the complexity.

"Horses and Divorces": Finding Common Ground

Despite not being friends for years, Musgraves recently initiated a reconciliation after seeing Lambert on social media. Recognizing the parallels in their lives—specifically their mutual love for equestrian life and their high-profile splits—Musgraves reached out with a lighthearted pitch. Lambert divorced Blake Shelton in 2015, while Musgraves separated from Ruston Kelly in 2020. This shared history became the foundation for their new collaboration, "Horses and Divorces," a track featured on Musgraves' upcoming album, Middle of Nowhere.

A Strategic Social Media "Feud"

To promote the upcoming single, the duo playfully trolled fans by pretending to reignite their beef on Instagram. They shared a viral throwback clip from the 2013 CMA Awards, where a young Musgraves appeared to "side-eye" Lambert during an acceptance speech. The "shady" exchange initially convinced fans that the rift was worsening, only for Musgraves to reveal the collaboration shortly after. Musgraves clarified that while they aren't best friends, they were able to "air out the old laundry" and write the new song with Shane McAnally in just a few hours.