It’s officially December, which means we can stop pretending that we care about Thanksgiving and fully embrace the holiday season. This year, I got into the Christmas spirit by lighting some candles, getting cozy in bed, and watching The Kacey Musgraves Christmas Show on my mom’s Prime Video account.
I loved this special so much, not just because I absolutely love Kacey Musgraves, but because it was 45 minutes of campy fun. Just to be clear, I don’t mean “campy” as in tents and a campfire, but as an adjective meaning “deliberately exaggerated and theatrical in style, typically for humorous effect.” The idea of “camp” made its way back into pop culture when it was the theme of the 2019 Met Gala. Seeing as Kacey was one of the few guests who fully understood what camp meant (I could write a whole article about that look alone), I expected nothing less than an old-school campy Christmas special from the new queen of country — and she didn’t disappoint. The constant costume changes, monochromatic sets and surprise guests all worked together to create a light, fun and festive holiday special.
To begin, the sets and costumes are to die for. If I could design my own Barbie Dream House, it would probably look just like this monochromatic life-size dollhouse. Kacey and all of her guests are even decked out in outfits to match. I won’t spoil all of the looks that are served in this special, but just look at Kacey and Troye Sivan in their performance of her original Christmas song “Glittery.” Not only does Kacey’s dress perfectly match the pink room behind her, but Troye’s sparkly emerald suit is a refreshing and festive pop of color.
With the guest list ranging from pop stars to comedians and everything in between, each guest brings their own special element of camp to their performance. Schitt’s Creek’s Dan Levy as a sarcastic elf narrator? Sign me up. You may not have known about Leon Bridges and his smooth vocals before this, but his number “Present Without a Bow” will have you wishing you were dancing on the ceiling with him and Kacey. And I have to say, when I heard Kendall Jenner would be in this, I was less than excited because I had no idea how she would fit into a musical special. However, I couldn’t have been more wrong. Her reference to Love Actually by asking Kacey to take her place this year at “Kris-mas” was everything. You’ll have to watch for yourself to see who else shows up to give Kacey a hand, but I assure you that each guest will make you smile.
But amidst all the campy fun, The Kacey Musgraves Christmas Show still takes time to be real. Kacey has an “emo moment,” as narrator Dan Levy describes it, with her original solo “Christmas Makes Me Cry.” Kacey’s signature soft, sincere vocals perfectly capture how many of us (myself included) sometimes feel during the holidays. Her duet with Lana Del Rey to “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” will make you shed a tear if you’re far from your family this holiday season. And best of all, a visit from Kacey’s Nana teaches the snarky narrator about the importance of being with those you love during Christmastime.
Watching this special every year will become a new holiday tradition for me. Even if you aren’t familiar with Kacey or her guests, I would totally recommend getting together with some girlfriends and working it into your holiday movie marathon. At the very least you can rave over all the fabulous costumes or get some holiday songs stuck in your head. After I watched it, I just wanted to tell all of my friends and family that “I love the way they decorate my heart.” Have a very Kacey Christmas everyone!