Kacey Musgraves has answered Kristi Noem in blunt terms. On Monday, Oct. 12, the singer posted a reply on X after Noem, the former Homeland Security secretary and current special envoy, said she would choose Ella Langley over Musgraves "any day," Billboard reported.
Musgraves' reply turned on a controversy from Noem's own book. "I don't think you have a dog in this fight but if you did you would have shot it," she wrote, according to Billboard.
How the exchange started
The trigger was a concert appearance. Senate candidate James Talarico, a Democrat, attended a stop on Musgraves' Middle of Nowhere Tour on Saturday and posted a photo with the singer. In his caption, he thanked her for having him the night before.
Noem then shared a screenshot of that post and used it to state two preferences. She picked Langley over Musgraves, and she backed Ken Paxton, Talarico's Republican opponent in the Senate race, over Talarico. Her wording borrowed the title of Langley's song "Choosin' Texas." Billboard noted that neither Langley nor Paxton took part in the back-and-forth.
The reference behind the retort
Musgraves' line pointed to a passage in Noem's 2024 memoir, No Going Back. In it, Noem described shooting and killing her 14-month-old dog, Cricket, whom she characterized as aggressive. Billboard said the account drew widespread backlash after the book came out.
The Noem post also carried a chart subtext. According to Billboard, "Choosin' Texas" spent 24 weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 before Taylor Swift's "Patient Zero" ended the run this month. Billboard said that success has made Langley one of country's biggest breakout stars of the year. Her second album, Dandelion, came out in April.
Musgraves' own moment
Musgraves is not short on momentum either. Her sixth studio album, Middle of Nowhere, was released May 1 and reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200, per Billboard.
The outlet also noted that she has spoken out on political and social issues before. Earlier this year, she invited The Mariachi Brothers to open several of her shows. According to the Houston Chronicle, as cited by Billboard, Immigration and Customs Enforcement had detained the group before releasing its members in March.
Why it matters
The episode shows how readily an artist's fan base, a chart run and a Senate race can collide on social media. A candidate's concert photo became a public contest between two country acts, and Musgraves used her reply to turn the comparison back on Noem. The sources do not say whether Noem or Langley responded.
Reporting sources: Billboard, “Kacey Musgraves Is Dogging Kristi Noem After Trump Appointee Says She’d Take Ella Langley Over Kacey ‘Any Day’”.