Keith Urban has never been one to rest on his laurels. With his 12th studio album, High, the country music superstar continues his legacy of crafting infectious, emotionally resonant tunes that push his boundaries within the genre. But it almost didn’t happen. Sitting down to chat with Kyle Meredith, Urban revealed he scrapped an entire album before starting over on High, a rare move for an artist of his stature.
“I’d never done that before,” Urban admits with a laugh. “I had started making a record called 615 back in 2022. I thought having a concept and some structure would help focus me, but it just didn’t. When I listened to the songs together, something felt off.” So, in an uncharacteristic move, Urban ditched most of the tracks, salvaging only four songs, and began again.
Urban's decision to scrap the project highlights the delicate balance between creativity and pressure. “There’s a lot at stake when you’ve got a whole machine behind you, a family depending on you, but at the end of the day, I knew I couldn’t release something that didn’t feel right,” Urban reflects.
The result? High, an album where every song could be a single. For Urban, the process of songwriting is less about crafting hits and more about capturing a moment in time. “I don’t set out to make hits,” Urban explains. “I just write what feels good. Albums for me are like snapshots. They’re a photograph of who I am right now.”
This snapshot includes standout tracks like "Laughing All the Way to the Drink," a song Urban can’t wait to perform live. “That track was a jam session between me, Mike Elizondo, and my drummer, Terrence Clark. We just let loose in the studio, and that energy is what you hear in the song.”
Despite his humility, Urban has a knack for hooks, a trait he attributes to growing up on the radio and being heavily influenced by bands like ELO. “I’ve always been a sucker for hooks,” he says, laughing. “I think Jeff Lynne taught me more about songwriting than I realized, just by listening to those ELO records as a kid.”
Urban’s ability to blend genres is also on full display. When asked about his cover of Ariana Grande’s "God Is a Woman," Urban talks about the magic of a great song. “The first time I heard it, I didn’t even know what she was saying, but I could feel the power in the melody,” he says. “A great song transcends genre.”
High is more than just an album for Urban. From its anthemic rock undertones to its classic country heart, High is Urban’s way of breaking the chains of monotony and showing that after 30 years in the business, he’s still got plenty to say.
For fans eager to see how these songs will grow on the road, Urban promises a tour that will let the tracks breathe and evolve, much like his own live performances have done over the years. “Touring is the rest of the record,” he explains. “I get to find new dimensions in the songs every night. That’s the part I’ve missed the most.”
With High, Keith Urban isn’t just repeating his past successes — he’s redefining what success looks like for an artist at this stage in his career.
