Country singer Kacey Musgraves kicked off her “Middle of Nowhere” tour on August 21, 2026, at Chicago’s United Center, but it wasn’t just her music that got people talking. The eight-time Grammy winner performed while sitting on a suspended prop made of two giant, glittering disco balls that many fans quickly pointed out looked exactly like a pair of male testicles.
The moment happened during her performance of the song “Rhinestoned” from her 2026 album Middle of Nowhere. Musgraves, who turned 38 on the same day, wore a white tank top, jeans, and a cowboy hat as she floated above the crowd on the unusual prop. She even joked about it from the stage.
“This is what happens when nobody tells me no. It takes a lot of blls to get up and do what I do every night. It takes two gigantic, anatomically correct sparkling blls, in fact.”
She also mentioned that her grandmother was in the audience watching the whole thing. “You know, she always told me, ‘Honey, if you’re gonna do something, do it big and do it sparkly,’” Musgraves said.
Internet Reacts to the Disco Ball Prop
Social media wasted no time reacting to the performance. A 17-second clip of the moment spread quickly across platforms, with fans sharing memes and jokes about the prop’s design.
One user wrote on X: “I’m sorry, but this is sac religious…”. Others took a lighter approach. “Only Kacey could sit on the most chaotic disco ball in existence and still make it look like high art,” one fan commented. Another person joked: “One hanging slightly lower than the other for anatomical accuracy. Absolute perfection.”
Some fans noted the humor in her choice of words. “You’ve gotta have b*lls to be that up in the air,” one person posted. Others simply found the whole thing funny, with comments like “She’s literally hanging with the boys tonight”.
But not everyone was laughing. Some critics called the prop “tacky” and “classless”. One person wrote: “I’m sure I’ll get flack but that’s so classless. Maybe that’s what she was going for”. Another social media user described the performance as “stupid and pointless”.
The Prop Fits the Album’s Playful Theme
The disco ball stunt fits perfectly with the cheeky theme of Musgraves’ latest album. Her lead single “Dry Spell” already plays with sexual humor, and she recently teamed up with women’s wellness brand Medicine Mama to release a limited-edition personal lubricant called “Drought Drops”.
“Drought Drops is a cheeky little wink to my song, combined with a great product from Medicine Mama. Hopefully it keeps the dry spells away and the good times coming.”
The first batch of the product sold out quickly, with the next shipment expected on September 1, 2026. Medicine Mama’s CEO Dr. Clare Bertucio praised Musgraves for helping normalize conversations about intimate wellness.
This isn’t the first time Musgraves has used disco balls in her performances. She previously performed with them during a 2018 episode of Saturday Night Live for her song “High Horse”.
Tour Details and What Happened During the Show
The “Middle of Nowhere” tour includes 36 dates across North America, Australia, and the United Kingdom. It wraps up on February 26, 2027, at London’s OVO Arena Wembley. Opening acts include Midland, Flatland Cavalry, Carter Faith, Charles Wesley Godwin, and others.
The opening night setlist included songs like “Everybody Wants to Be a Cowboy,” “Dry Spell,” “High Horse,” “Golden Hour,” “Slow Burn,” “Follow Your Arrow,” and the title track “Middle of Nowhere”.
Musgraves also used the show to ask fans to donate to the Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights, a Chicago-based nonprofit that provides legal aid to children whose parents have been deported.
“It’s a wonderful organization, and they help give aid—legal aid—and money to children whose parents have been deported unfairly. It’s not a political thing. It’s just, these kids need help.”
Her comments drew criticism from some conservative figures, including Fox News host Tomi Lahren, who questioned what an “unfair deportation” means. Others accused Musgraves of being a hypocrite, pointing out her reported $15 million net worth and suggesting she should fund the donations herself.
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Fans Had Mixed Feelings About the Performance
The reaction to the disco ball prop remained divided. While many fans found the moment hilarious and appreciated Musgraves’ sense of humor, others felt it crossed a line.
Some social media users defended the singer, pointing out that she has always pushed boundaries in country music. Musgraves is known for tackling topics like LGBTQ acceptance, safe sex, and questioning religious beliefs in her music.
The prop quickly earned nicknames online, with some calling it the “nutsack disco ball” or comparing it to “truck nuts” – the decorative accessories sometimes seen hanging from pickup trucks in the southern United States.
One fan joked on TikTok: “But when I dip mine in glitter at work, I get sent to HR”. Another person commented: “Imagine going to engineering school and your first gig is to build balls”.
The tour continues with a show in Toronto on August 24, 2026. Musgraves previously canceled three tour dates, including the original opening night scheduled for August 20, a Boston show on August 29, and a Brooklyn performance on September 2. No official explanation was given for the cancellations.
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