Keith Urban has shared the inspiration for his new musical direction in a chat with the Today show on Thursday.
The Australian country crooner has switched his focus to ‘yacht rock’ on his new album, Flow State, which features covers of classic ’70s and ’80s hits.
Yacht rock, a smooth jazz and R&B-inspired soft rock genre that arose between the mid 1970s and late 1980s, was a surprising choice for the 58-year-old, who is best known for his country pop rock style.
‘It wasn’t planned. Let’s put it that way,’ Urban said about his new direction.
‘I bought a studio in Nashville and I spent about nine months getting it back up and running. And by the time it was ready to hit record, and see if it all works, I was about to start the High and Alive tour, and I wanted to record something,’ the singer continued.
‘I said, “Let’s just do a couple yacht rock songs,” because the songs were already written and arranged. It was just a way for everyone to play and record and see if everything works.’
Keith Urban has shared the inspiration for his new musical direction in a chat with the Today show on Thursday (pictured)
Once Keith and his band recorded the covers, he said he realised ‘this actually sounds really good.
‘This really suits me! So no one was more surprised than me.’
Urban recorded just one original song, called We Go Back, which he wrote with Steely Dan and Doobie Brothers singer Michael McDonald, who is known as one of the founding fathers of yacht rock.
‘I can’t say enough about the fact that this album continued to always have a direction of its own and I was just following,’ Urban said of his decision to work with McDonald.
The new direction comes after Urban left his fans worried after walking the red carpet at the ACM Awards in Las Vegas in May.
Some are concerned about the singer, with comments on a video from the event insisting Keith looked ’embarrassed’, ‘anxious’ and out of place at the event.
‘I feel so bad for him,’ wrote one person on Instagram, while another said: ‘Missing Nicole, he looks uncomfortable.’
‘He looks sad and a little embarrassed,’ another chimed in, with someone else writing, ‘He looks sad.’
The Australian country crooner has switched his focus to ‘yacht rock’ on his new album, Flow State, which features covers of classic ’70s and ’80s hits
‘The limelight was always her jam, not his. Divorce isn’t easy,’ suggested one more person.
Someone else commented: ‘He looks awkward,’ while another said, ‘Poor guy looks very uncomfortable.’
Others defended the performer, with one fan writing: ‘I think he looks great. Some people are not comfortable spotlight cameras.’
Another said: ‘Looks gorgeous, however also anxious.’
It follows reports that Keith has friends worried in the wake of his split from Nicole Kidman after 19 years together.
The country music singer and movie star, 58, finalised their divorce in January. And sources now claim Keith is ‘anxious’ about this new chapter of his life.
Insiders have suggested the musician has also turned to retail therapy to help get over his nerves about flying solo, Woman’s Day magazine reports.
One source pointed to the first major event he attended in May without Nicole by his side – the Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas.
The new direction comes after Urban left his fans worried after walking the red carpet at the ACM Awards in Las Vegas in May (pictured)
The country music singer and movie star Nicole Kidman (right) finalised their divorce in January
‘It was pretty obvious Keith was anxious about flying solo,’ they claimed.
‘He knew he was going to be facing off the press for the first time since the divorce and he didn’t look comfortable at all.
‘His smile didn’t meet his eyes this time. It’s clear he was a little lost without his former ‘other half’.’
Another source went on to claim Keith has now turned some of his attention to taking better care of his physical appearance.
They said the ‘metrosexual’ has enjoyed getting ‘pampered’ at spas with massages, as well as ‘getting his hair highlighted, his nails done’, along with skin treatments.
‘He just dropped a small fortune… to get ready for his tour and all the promo,’ they claimed.
Keith is also said to have splashed millions on the Nashville studio The Tracking Room, which he has reportedly restored and renamed The Sound.
The property was most recently listed for sale in 2024 for $5.6 million.
Daily Mail has contacted Keith Urban for comment.
Read the full article here
