Keith Urban Gets ‘Explosive, True, Honest’ With His 11th Studio Album, HIGH
Fans of country sensation Keith Urban have been eagerly anticipating a new album from him since The Speed of Now Part 1, released in 2020, and today, Sep. 20, the wait is finally over with the release of his 11th studio album, HIGH. Of course, it was worth every second.
HIGH consists of a dozen evocative and emotional country tracks showcasing some of his rawest songwriting yet—some heartbreaking, some awe-inspiring and some foot-stomping—but always 100% Keith Urban.
"This album is the result of a prior record I started in 2022," Keith shared in a post on Instagram. "It's 40 minutes top to bottom, and is completely expressive, true, honest and is so much more of what I actually wanted to say when making that scrapped record. I hope these songs bring you joy, levity, some new understanding, energy and escape!"
To celebrate the big release, click HERE to purchase the album, and keep scrolling to listen to some of its top tracks and learn more about the stories behind them, in Keith's own words, below.
(HIGH via Hit Red Records)
'STRAIGHT LINE'
"This is the song that kicks off an album I'm jonesing to share with you all," Keith explained in an Instagram post. "I chose it first for a lot of reasons, but particularly because I think it represents an energy and spirit that became a through line of the whole record. I'm gonna cover a lot of themes, emotions and vibes on this album but a very human spirit runs through them all. 'Straight Line' is wanting to break out of a soul-sucking routine that you might be stuck in: maybe in a relationship, a job, with creativity, with yourself… whatever it is! It's a message of feeling alive again and getting out from under that dark cloud. If you've seen us in concert, I hope it gives you that same feeling."
'Messed Up as Me'
"This song is about a relationship… should we call it a relationship???" Keith wrote on an Instagram post. "We're calling it a relationship. It's about two people who know they aren't good for each other: it's dysfunctional, makes no sense, it might even be toxic, but they keep going back because there's one thing they're really good at!"
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'Wildside'
"It was a very basic song, chordally," Keith shared in a TikTok video. "I love ZZ Top and I always loved 'Legs' by ZZ Top, and I thought that kind of crazy hyper-programmed synth that 'Legs' has under it, which is literally, literally almost sounds like an MRI. If anybody's gotten an MRI, that's what that sounds like … That was a big part of getting this song started."
'Go Home W U' featuring Lainey Wilson
"When the song was written, it wasn't written as a duet," Keith explained in a video on Instagram. "And then a good friend of mine, Dan McCarroll, suggested it would be a great duet, and I already had Lainey on my radar to do something with her, 'cause I love her voice and her vibe. Everything. She was perfect for the second verse. When she hit it, man, it just became this other thing."
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'Heart Like a Hometown'
"When I was a kid, our family moved around a lot," Keith revealed in a post on Instagram. "For me, a 'hometown' has always felt more about my family and a place inside of me—somewhere I could find my center."
Want to see Keith Urban perform in person? Click HERE for ticketing details for Keith Urban's High in Vegas, with dates on Oct. 4, 5, 9, 11 and 12 this year, as well as Feb. 14, 15, 19, 21 and 22 next year.
For even more on "Heart Like a Hometown," read our recap of the memorable track HERE.