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The high quality songs contained on Kacey Musgraves new album, Pageant Material is solid proof her previous release, Same Trailer Different Park, was no fluke. Some mainstream country music fans may crave princess-like ‘pageant material’ in their female artists, but lovers of strong songwriting and performances will gladly take Musgraves’ gifted storytelling over dimwitted beauty contestants any day of the week.

Many know Musgraves for her positive advice song, “Follow Your Arrow.” Best of all, though, Musgraves follows her own advice by following her arrow wherever it goes. Pageant Material is stocked with truly traditional country-sounding songs, in a time where too many other country artists – both male and female – seem to want to be pop or R&B artists, instead.

She may worry about getting too big for her britches on “Dime Store Cowgirl,” yet during the very same song she confesses to being overwhelmed at getting her picture taken with Willie Nelson. She even repeats the old saying about how you can take a girl out of the country, but you can’t take country out of the girl. She may be a whip-smart songwriter, but she’s still a humble country girl. And that’s awful good to know.

One of the album’s most moving songs is titled “Miserable.” It describes the kind of person we all know: the ones that seem to somehow get joy out of being unhappy. Yes, we all are unhappy sometimes because life is hard and all suffer bad breaks and misfortune.

However, ‘normal’ people get over these pitfalls, eventually. ‘Normal’ people don’t live to suffer like the character in this song. Ultimately, Musgraves decide she can’t waste her time with this sad sack. “I can’t keep you company no more,” she says, giving up.

Musgraves may be a strong, independent woman, like Carrie Underwood, Martina McBride and Miranda Lambert, but her music just sounds different from these other artists. It’s not all bright and pop-y. “Die Fun,” for example, is built upon banjo, acoustic guitar and steel guitar, rather than echo-y drums and rocking electric guitar. In other words, she likes to stick with traditional country sounds.

There’s something to be said for sticking to your artistic guns. Icons like Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn have made long careers out of speaking their minds and (mostly) keeping their sound traditional. And even though Musgraves may sound a little out of step, sonically, she consistently lands her songs and albums at the top of the charts. She’s touched a nerve with mainstream artists that haven’t had their senses completely dulled by color-less pop-country arrangements.

One can only hope that Musgraves’ successful route also inspires other women to ‘follow their arrows,’ too. If Musgraves can have hits without acting the part of the female country floozy, why can’t others? Traditional country sounds are still relevant. Watered down sounds will eventually get old because fans will demand that their music – country – is distinctive from pop – not just a twang-y version of the same.

Pageant material is akin to fading beauty. Great art, on the other hand, is both timeless and ultimately eternal. Musgraves is smart to avoid being some girl that looks and sounds great all made up for a moment in time. Instead, she’s out to add to a legacy – country music’s wonderful legacy. If anything, the album Pageant Material is even better than Same Trailer Different Park. This means she’s only getting stronger and better.

Everybody that loves real country music should support Musgraves. The better she does, the more the country music establishment will invest in artists like her. The future of country music is bright as long as Kacey Musgraves is in the limelight.