Kacey Musgraves and Miranda Lambert Address Long-Rumored Feud, Tease Duet on Upcoming Album
NASHVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 11: BMI's Jody Williams, Co-writer Kacey Musgraves and BMI's Clay Bradley Celebrate Miranda Lambert's No.1 Song "Mama's Broken Heart" with co writers Kacey Musgraves, Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally performed by Miranda Lambert at Cabana on September 11, 2013 in Nashville, Tennessee. Photo Credit: Rick Diamond
Kacey Musgraves and Miranda Lambert, two prominent figures in country music, have reignited discussions about a rumored feud originating in 2011 over the song "Mama's Broken Heart." Musgraves co-wrote the track with Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally, and it became a multi-platinum hit for Lambert, peaking at #2 on the U.S. Billboard Country Airplay chart and certified 3× Platinum by the RIAA, with over 1,960,000 units sold. Reports indicate Lambert expressed interest in recording the song during her wedding weekend to Blake Shelton in 2011, when she was a bigger artist at the time, leading Musgraves to relinquish it despite initial reluctance, as it benefited her co-writers.
The feud appeared to resurface playfully in early March 2026 when Musgraves shared the 2013 CMA clip on her Instagram stories over the first weekend of the month, captioning it: "You knew I’d said some things about you" with an eye-rolling emoji, tagging Lambert. Lambert quickly reposted it on her own Instagram stories, responding: "Well I’ve done my fair share of s*** talkin’ too." Fans and industry observers interpreted the exchange as teasing lyrics from an upcoming song, signaling reconciliation rather than conflict.
On March 11, 2026, Musgraves confirmed the speculation in an NPR interview while announcing her new studio album, Middle of Nowhere, slated for release on May 1. One track, "Horses and Divorces," is a duet with Lambert, inspired by their mutual interests in horses and divorces—Musgraves saw Lambert riding a horse on Instagram, prompting the idea. Musgraves recounted reaching out to Lambert: "I know we’ve had our s–t over the years, but listen, we’ve at least got two things in common... I’m not trying to be your friend... But I think this would be a pretty f–king funny song, and we should write it with Shane ." They collaborated, airing out past issues, laughing, and writing the song in a few hours, which Musgraves described as "very full circle."
Musgraves reflected that giving up "Mama's Broken Heart" allowed her to write "Merry Go Round," the lead single from her debut album Same Trailer Different Park, better suiting her style. She noted the duet represents "a micro representation of what I wish that the world would do sometimes," highlighting reconciliation. Both artists, Texas natives, had lost touch and were not friends prior, but this project bridges that gap.
While the story centers on country music dynamics, it underscores themes of professional rivalry turning to collaboration, with no direct LGBTQ+ community responses documented in coverage. Fans have celebrated the development online, viewing it as the end of a longstanding Nashville rumor.
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