Kacey Musgraves has never been particularly interested in playing it safe onstage, and her latest tour may contain the clearest evidence yet.

The country star’s new concert production features a pair of enormous, glitter-covered disco balls designed with an unmistakably anatomical joke in mind. Musgraves even rides on the oversized props during her performance of “Rhinestoned,” turning what could have been a subtle visual gag into one of the most talked-about moments of the show.

Not everyone has been impressed.

But when one fan publicly criticized the unusual stage decoration, Musgraves responded with exactly the kind of quick comeback her audience might expect from her.

The exchange happened after the 38-year-old singer shared an Instagram carousel from her Middle of Nowhere Tour on Aug. 29.

One commenter admitted they simply could not support the giant testicle-shaped props.

Musgraves answered with a short joke suggesting that if the fan could not get behind them, perhaps they could stand in front of them instead.

It was a brief reply, but it perfectly matched the playful attitude Musgraves has brought to the entire production.

The Middle of Nowhere Tour began Aug. 21 in Chicago, launching on Musgraves’ 38th birthday. From the beginning, the massive sparkling props have been part of a stage show that openly embraces the more mischievous side of the music from her latest era.

Musgraves herself has made it clear that their exaggerated appearance is intentional.

During one concert, she looked at the outrageous setup and joked that this was apparently what happened when nobody was around to tell her no.

Rather than ignoring the inevitable reactions, she has repeatedly made the props part of her conversations with the audience.

At another performance, Musgraves took the joke even further when someone especially important was watching from the crowd: her grandmother, whom she affectionately calls Nana.

Musgraves joked that performing every night required plenty of courage — and, in her case, two gigantic sparkling props to match. She then reminded the audience of advice her grandmother had given her over the years: if she was going to do something, she should do it big and make it sparkle.

Looking toward Nana, Musgraves playfully wondered whether this particular interpretation was what her grandmother had meant.

The moment carried another layer because Musgraves has already admitted that Nana has not always been enthusiastic about the increasingly suggestive material in her recent work.

Musgraves’ latest album, released May 1, includes “Dry Spell,” a song containing some of the most openly sexual lyrics she has recorded. The singer previously acknowledged that one particular washing-machine reference was definitely not her grandmother’s favorite line, although Musgraves herself found it amusing.

The music video pushed the theme even further, using deliberately suggestive imagery from its opening moments.

Yet Musgraves’ memories of making that video are tied to a frightening family experience as well.

While filming, she received a message from her father telling her that Nana had been rushed to the hospital after suffering an alarming episode involving extremely high blood pressure.

Musgraves left the shoot and found herself crying during a phone call, caught between genuine fear for her grandmother and the surreal thought of how Nana might react to the finished video if she recovered.

Musgraves later joked about imagining her grandmother surviving only to strongly dislike what she had filmed.

That combination of sincerity and irreverence has continued throughout the tour.

As the Middle of Nowhere Tour moved through Boston and New York City, Musgraves kept turning unexpected moments into comedy — including one that had nothing to do with her glitter-covered props.

During the Boston concert, part of the stage lighting appeared to catch fire.

Musgraves quickly acknowledged that something genuinely seemed to be burning above her. She joked about the amount of hairspray she was wearing and questioned whether anyone had a suitably bedazzled fire extinguisher available.

Then, rather than allowing the moment to derail the concert, she moved on by introducing “Wonderwall.”

The episode offered another example of the tone Musgraves has established on this tour: glamorous, unpredictable and willing to turn almost anything into a punchline.

By the time she performed at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Aug. 31, the unusual production had already generated plenty of attention.

And the disco balls remain at the center of it.

For Musgraves, the props appear to be less about shocking people than extending the humor already running through her current music and performances. She knows exactly what they look like, knows some fans will find them ridiculous and seems to enjoy addressing those reactions directly instead of pretending the joke is not there.

Her response to the Instagram critic made that especially clear.

There was no lengthy defense of the artistic decision and no attempt to convince everyone to appreciate it. Musgraves simply answered criticism with another joke and carried on.

That confidence also fits the advice she attributes to Nana: when doing something, do it big and make it sparkle.

Musgraves has certainly followed that philosophy literally.

Fans will have plenty more opportunities to see the controversial props for themselves. The Middle of Nowhere Tour, which began in Chicago on Aug. 21, is scheduled to continue for months before reaching its final date in London on Feb. 26, 2027.

Whether every concertgoer loves the giant disco balls is almost beside the point.

Musgraves has made them impossible to ignore — and judging by her response to anyone who objects, she seems perfectly comfortable keeping them exactly where they are.