Justified

"Justified" is a song by American country music artist Kacey Musgraves. It was released on August 27, 2021, as the lead single from Musgraves' fifth studio album, Star-Crossed, released on September 10, 2021. Musgraves co-wrote the song with Ilsey Juber, BJ Burton and Ian Fitchuk, and produced it with Fitchuk and Daniel Tashian. Content In an interview with Elle in May 2021, Musgraves talked about the inspiration for the song, her divorce with Ruston Kelly: "I felt, in many ways, on top of the world in my career, but in my personal life, I felt like I was dying inside. I was crumbling. I was sad. I felt lonely. I felt broken." Matt Doria of NME pointed out that the song "serve[s] as a poignant reflection on Musgraves' divorce from country singer Ruston Kelly". Andy Sahadeo of Nicki Swift described the song as "a somber contemplation of the singer's personal life over the past few years". Critical reception Jason Friedman of Paste felt that the track "recalls some of the warmth of previous album Golden Hour, with the track serving as an uptempo reminder that 'healing doesn't happen in a straight line,' as the singer wrestles with the different mood cycles that follow a breakup."