Latest Release
- SEP 20, 2024
- 12 Songs
- Ripcord · 2016
- Greatest Hits · 2002
- Fuse (Deluxe Version) · 2013
- Fuse (Deluxe Version) · 2013
- Two Lanes of Freedom (Accelerated Deluxe) · 2013
- Fuse (Deluxe Version) · 2013
- Ripcord · 2016
- Be Here · 2004
- MESSED UP AS ME - Single · 2024
- Ripcord · 2015
Essential Albums
- Most modern listeners wouldn’t think anything of drum machines in country music, but when <I>Love, Pain & The Whole Crazy Thing</I> came out in 2006, it was, in its own highly polished way, a daring prospect. Urban understands the form’s bread and butter, and he isn’t afraid to lean into it, whether it’s the folksy pride of “Raise the Barn” or the sentiment of “God Made Woman.” But he also borrows seamlessly from contemporary rock and pop, not just in sound (“Once in a Lifetime”) but in his willingness to lay out big, complicated feelings without getting hung up on what men are allowed to say and how they’re supposed to say it (“Used to the Pain”). Even in its drama, <I>Love...</I> keeps a degree of emotional maturity that makes Urban slightly unusual, or at least triangulates a point between avuncular guys like George Strait and the bro country that came to dominate in the years following. “She never even knew she had a choice/And that’s what happens when the only voice she hears is telling her she can’t,” he sings on “Stupid Boy.” It’s a level of sensitivity that helped Urban stand out in a meaningful way—you’d like him if you were already a Brad Paisley or Carrie Underwood fan, but you could come to him from Coldplay and connect with it just as well. On <I>Love, Pain & The Whole Crazy Thing</I>, he stretches out what we mean when we talk about country music.
- Living — and loving — in the moment is a reoccurring theme on Keith Urban’s Be Here. For all the happy moments celebrated on this album, there’s also an acknowledgement of dark shadows lurking around the bend. As on previous albums, he effortlessly sails through upbeat tracks like “God’s Been Good to Me,” “Better Life,” and “I Could Fly” with lighthearted grace. But even the sunniest tunes carry a certain pang — the opening number “Days Go By” and the closer “These Are the Days” reveal a certain wistfulness beneath their positive sentiments. “Tonight I Wanna Cry” and especially “Nobody Drinks Alone” confront despair with understated drama and a measure of honesty. Inspired cover choices — including Rodney Crowell’s “Making Memories of Us” and Elton John’s “Country Comfort — add to the impact. Keith’s sparkling guitar, banjo, and mandolin work ripples through these tracks, lending many of them a distinct bluegrass tinge. While the good things in life may be fleeting, Urban makes Be Here into a work of solid achievement and enduring appeal.
- On his third U.S. album, Aussie country king Keith Urban proved he was a lot more than a heartthrob. Mixing the forward momentum of modern rock with country roots and an almost cinematic pop sensibility, Golden Road seamlessly blends banjo and pedal steel with guitar-slinger Urban’s own rowdy, rocking riffs. And from the opening love letter, “Somebody Like You,” to the closing, anti-drug cautionary tale, “You’re Not My God,” Urban shows off enough songwriting savvy for a dozen artists.
- 2018
Artist Playlists
- Lover, fighter, rocker—Keith Urban is a man of many guises.
- Indulge in the country heartthrob's guide to romance.
- Hit the ground runnin’ with the country star's best workout tracks.
- Discover the artists that inspired one of country's modern icons.
- “I had to figure my way back to that creative place with confidence.”
- Back in Las Vegas, the country sensation journeys through his vast catalog of hits.
Appears On
- The artist shares three songs that changed his life.
- Talking HIGH and breaking generational cycles.
- Celebrating Australia's finest, with Keith Urban and more.
- The legend discusses his Hall of Fame induction.
- Keith Urban joins to discuss the release of "Brown Eyes Baby."
- Celebrating the 15th Anniversary of Keith Urban’s classic album.
- Keith Urban takes over the playlist with high-energy favorites.
More To See
About Keith Urban
In an interview with Apple Music, country-pop songwriter Keith Urban outlined the two forces that came together to influence his songwriting. The first is Johnny Cash. “That was my first concert,” Urban said about The Man in Black. “It was unlike anything I’d seen. It wasn’t country, it wasn’t rock, it wasn’t punk—it was all of them.” The second is Top 40: “hooky songs, man.” Urban’s life is similarly defined by such duality. Born in 1967 in New Zealand and raised in Australia, Urban was a bona fide outsider when he moved to Nashville in the early ‘90s. But by the end of the decade, his self-titled 1999 album had set him on the path to stardom. While the great country music argument tends to pit traditionalism against evolution, Urban embraced both—mixing drum loops and steel guitar, marrying twang and pop—and transcended the conversation, generating a mass appeal that courted fans of both. This crossover combination resulted in a slew of platinum records, hit singles, and stadium tours, and collaborations with artists like Pitbull and Carrie Underwood. In 2012, Urban became a member of storied Nashville institution the Grand Ole Opry upon surprise invitation from fellow country icon Vince Gill, a full-circle moment that recognized his contributions to the genre he helped push into new sonic territory.
- FROM
- Whangarei, New Zealand
- BORN
- October 26, 1967
- GENRE
- Country