Kacey Musgraves Says She's Forever a 'Long Hair Girlie' After Trying Short Cuts (Exclusive)

The Grammy winner tells PEOPLE why she remains loyal to her long locks — plus, her secret to keeping her mane healthy

Kacey Musgraves is done with mane makeovers.

The Grammy winner tells PEOPLE she remains committed to the long hair life after experimenting with shorter styles when she was younger.

'I'm a long hair girly — I've tried chopping it off before, and it does not feel right," she says. "I'm not doing it again. I look really silly with that small ponytail — like a founding father!"

As for the secret to Musgraves shiny, healthy locks, the singer-songwriter takes a less is more approach.

"I just try not to wash it that much," she says.

Musgraves romantic, free-flowing hair is on full display in her "Deeper Well" music video, the title track off her new album of the same name.

"It's a video for the witches, the cottage girls, the soft girls, the nature ladies," she tells PEOPLE of the aesthetic behind the video. "I just love a cottage core moment."

Much like her pared down beauty, the singer's lyrics are raw and real.

"Ultimately, the song sums up where I'm at in my mid-30s and really evaluating what love means to me, what friendships mean to me, what are the things that I need, what is really serving me and not serving me," she says of Deeper Well. "It's [about] taking stock and making room for the things that actually do really matter."

And while Musgraves relishes a return to nature, she also is very much inspired by the concrete jungle that is New York City, after recording much of her album in the Big Apple.

"Girl, I'm always browsing Zillow late at night, acting like a fool — it's my favorite," the country star, whose home base is Nashville, shares. "I wouldn't rule it out, but I do have a community in Nashville that I know that I couldn't find anywhere else."

She adds, "I think New York City is a very special place, and I feel really inspired to create there for sure."

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Related: Kacey Musgraves Teases That She's Mulling a New York Move: 'Always Browsing Zillow, Acting a Fool' (Exclusive)

Musgraves' new music marks a transformation for the star, who says her focus remains on putting her most honest self forward.

"This life is so short. I think that you have to be a little bit ruthless in removing obstacles for growth," she says. "That could mean adjusting your expectations with family members. That could be putting a pause on a friendship. It could be a breakup or dropping a habit that just doesn't serve you well anymore. It's being awake enough to be tuned in to paying attention to what the flow of nature is trying to tell you about what you need."

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