The Country Artist Who Called ‘Are You Sure’ by Willie Nelson ‘a Real-A** Song’
Kacey Musgraves has an impressive list of musician friends — Harry Styles, Hayley Williams, and Lana Del Rey included. She also recorded (and performed) several songs with Willie Nelson, sharing her appreciation specifically for his track with Buddy Emmons — “Are You Sure (This Is Where You Want to Be.)”
Are Kacey Musgraves and Willie Nelson friends?
Musgraves is a chart-topping artist, earning a handful of Grammy Awards for her 2018 release Golden Hour. She’s also an unapologetic fan of “Beer For My Horses” artist Nelson — even describing the country legend as her “other grandpa.” At the Palomino Festival, Musgraves brought out Nelson for “On the Road Again.”
“So, my actual grandpa is here in the audience tonight from Texas, and my other grandpa is here from Texas,” Musgraves joked while pointing to Nelson, who joined her on stage. Musgraves even mentioned one of her favorite songs by the artist — “Are You Sure.”
Kacey Musgraves described 1 Willie Nelson song as ‘so blunt:’ ‘I just fell in love with it’
Msugraves mentioned his appreciation for specific Nelson hits. During an interview with Texas Monthly, the artist recalled the first time she heard “Are You Sure (This Is Where You Want to Be).”
“You will be hard-pressed to find a more real-a** song than Willie Nelson — well, Willie Nelson and Buddy Emmons’s, ‘Are You Sure (This Is Where You Want to Be),’” Musgraves said. “I remember when I heard it, I thought, ‘Holy s***, this is so blunt, and so to the point, and so simple,’ and I just fell in love with it.”
This track was initially released in 1965. Musgraves even recorded “Are You Sure” for 2015’s Pageant Material. Since its debut, the Musgraves version has earned over a million Spotify streams.
“These are your friends,” Nelson sings in the second verse. “But are they real friends? Do they love you as much as me? Are you sure that this is where you want to be?”
The “Slow Burn” singer once asked Nelson about his hit, although the details surrounding the story are “fuzzy.” Nelson said it came from a day out with friends and drinking beer. After a while, the songwriter turned to Emmons and said, “Hey, are you sure this is where you want to be?”
Kacey Musgraves and Willie Nelson recorded ‘A Willie Nice Christmas’
Musgraves and Nelson collaborated on music outside of “Are You Sure.” For A Very Kacey Christmas, the two recorded “A Willie Nice Christmas.” At the 2019 CMAs, the artists performed the Muppets’ hit song “Rainbow Connection” together.
“There’s no one like Willie, and there never will be anyone like Willie,” Musgraves added in the same interview. “I don’t think there’s another artist, really, that embodies American music like he does. I mean, there’s very few.”
Now, music by Musgraves is available on most major streaming platforms.
