Keith Urban

Keith Urban

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Keith Urban Performance Added To SXSW 2018 Lineup

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Stubb's Waller Creek Amphitheater to host the country superstar's March 16 set
Philip Merrill
GRAMMYs
Mar 9, 2018 - 4:06 pm

March 16 just became a bigger Urban day in Austin, Texas as country music star Keith Urban has been confirmed to perform at SXSW 2018 that night at Stubb's Waller Creek Amphitheater.

Jan 27, 2018 – 3:41 pm

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In addition to having something to sing about headlining his 8:00 p.m. set with appearances by Devon Gilfillian, Larkin Poe, and Lauren Ruth Ward, Urban will have something to say too. His speaking engagement was announced last year and his topic will be "Creation and Connection" at 12:30 p.m. at the Austin Convention Center. Urban knows a thing or two about the topic, considering his four GRAMMY wins have all come in the category Best Male Country Vocal Performance.

Urban's upcoming Graffiti U album is expected later this year and he has announced his tour with Kelsea Ballerini will run June through November. First on our updated list of must-see music festivals because it's the earliest in the year, SXSW Music is sure to kick off an amazing summer of festivals, and we'll be there.

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Keith Urban

Keith Urban

Photo: Courtesy of Capitol Records

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Watch Keith Urban's "Coming Home" Video With Julia Michaels

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The GRAMMY winner's brand-new video precedes his world tour in support of his latest hit album, 'Graffiti U'
Philip Merrill
GRAMMYs
Jun 1, 2018 - 5:46 pm

On a recent episode of the GRAMMY Museum's "Required Listening" podcast, Keith Urban revealed the inspiration behind "Coming Home," the first track on his new album, 2018's Graffiti U. Now, the GRAMMY winner has released a brand-new video for his upbeat collaboration with Julia Michaels.

"The first song on this album is called 'Coming Home' and I actually used a Merle Haggard sample to spark the song," Urban told "Required Listening" host Scott Goldman. "I didn't have any idea what the song would be about but when I started hearing this rolling guitar intro of 'Mamma Tried,' it immediately made me think of growing up in Australia."

As described by Rolling Stone, the video displays an American surrealist landscape where Urban, trapped in the city, travels through his mind to the musical escape of hearing and seeing "Coming Home" at a club where he both sits and performs the pump song with Michaels. The surrealism allows Midwestern pastures to mentally connect with the small club venue where his latest hit is itself the answer to urban alienation. It all makes for a great escape in its country-loving self, both as a song and in its refreshing mindscape of a music video.

Urban's Graffiti U, his 10th studio album, debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. The GRAMMY winner will kick off a world tour in support of the LP on June 15 in St. Louis.

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Mr. Eazi

Mr. Eazi

Photo: Joseph Okpako/Getty Images

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SXSW Adds Second Round Of Global Artists For March 2019 Festival

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Deerhunter, Mr. Eazi, Jerry Paper, Nadine Shah, and hundreds more emerging acts will make the 33rd SXSW in Austin, Texas a wild opener for 2019's festival season
Philip Merrill
GRAMMYs
Nov 28, 2018 - 2:14 pm

On Nov. 28 SXSW added more than 240 showcasing artists, including Deerhunter, Mr. Eazi, Jerry Paper and Nadine Shah, to their 2019 music festival lineup, in addition to 240 artists already slated in their first-round announcement last month. Emerging talent from around the world will be the center-of-attention in Austin, Texas on March 11–17, 2019, as the annual music event reconvenes for its 33rd year.

Any small sampling of the global array of up-and-comers planning to play SXSW next spring is bound to call on many rising stars and the hits they have in store. For example, also on Nov. 28, Nigerian afrobeats performer Mr. Eazi released Lagos To London, a documentary to complement his recent mixtape of the same name, explaining his evolution as an artist. As music consumers in the U.S. and elsewhere continue to build their interest in more international sounds, Mr. Eazi's fans have even compared some of his beats to those of K-pop phenomenon BTS. SXSW will bring plenty of global sounds to Texas, with Seoul, South Korea to be represented by Cifika and Duo Bud.

Read More: Keith Urban, K-Pop, Women In Music: Go Behind The Scenes At SXSW 2018

Experimental indie-rock group Deerhunter from Atlanta, Ga. and rapper Jerry Paper from Los Angeles, Calif. will be there. Tyler, The Creator teamed up with Paper just two weeks ago on their release "Hot Chocolate," to warm up the winter months. Britain's Nadine Shah is also a new addition to the lineup, whose growing following delights in her unique sound, blending jazz and pop with influences from the Sufi music she grew up listening to with her Pakistani dad, putting her on the Mercury Prize shortlist for 2018.

Feast your eyes on the diversity of SXSW's second-round list at the festival's website and then indulge your ears with the fest's compilation on Mixcloud, introducing just some of these acts' new sounds. Whether from Asia, Australia, Europe or North and South America, these artists leave an impression that the world is in good hands with the energy they bring, striving to enrich us with their music.

SXSW Announces First Wave Of Artists For Music Festival In Spring 2019

Yoshiki

Yoshiki

Photo: Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic

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X Japan's Yoshiki: Coachella 2018 "Is A Part Of My Dreams"

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Scheduled to perform the same days as Beyoncé, Japan's metal vets are bringing a Coachella debut that will have new listeners feel the power of their music
Philip Merrill
GRAMMYs
Apr 10, 2018 - 3:38 pm

Preparing for Saturday performance slots at Coachella this coming April 14, and the following week on April 21, X Japan's Yoshiki spoke to Forbes cryptically about what's in the works for the band's big festival debut.

"We are going to surprise the audience," he told the magazine, which noted the band will be "the only hard rock act" amid the stellar Coachella 2018 lineup. Beyoncé has also been preparing for her headline spots on those same days.

"The story of our band is too crazy to be true," said Yoshiki, "but somehow we are still here."

One speculation on the surprise is a virtual reunion of sorts. Former X Japan members hide and Taiji died in 1998 and 2011, respectively.

"In our hearts, we are always performing together," said Yoshiki. "Let's just say somehow they'll be joining us."

Last year Coachella became the first reoccurring festival to break the $100 million mark, bringing in 2017 profits of $114 million. As a major festival, it provides a right-size platform for a pioneering band. Considered one of metal's top all-time groups, X Japan headlined Madison Square Garden in 2014. They have sold out the Tokyo Dome, seating 55,000, 18 times. And Yoshiki & Co. have sold a combined total of more than 30 million albums, singles and videos.

There is every expectation new American fans will discover these veterans, learn their story and love their songs.

Bottling his feelings regarding his impending debut at Coachella, Yoshiki said, "This is a part of my dreams!"

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Keith Urban

Keith Urban

Photo: Taylor Hill/WireImage

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Keith Urban's "Coming Home" Features Julia Michaels, Merle Haggard Riff Refresh

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The GRAMMY winner released his latest country pop anthem, a collaboration with one of pop's craftiest songstresses with a riff plucked from country music history
Philip Merrill
GRAMMYs
Mar 21, 2018 - 3:58 pm

Keith Urban has released a moving and memorable lyric video for his anthem "Coming Home," featuring singer/songwriter Julia Michaels.

Rolling Stone explains how the riff in "Coming Home" is modified from Merle Haggard's famous lick in "Mama Tried," with Urban giving Haggard credit. While there's room for discussion of how pop production is blending new with old, and acoustic with electronic, Urban's modified version of the riff takes on a life of its own, sustaining the theme of the song and its upbeat expectations.

Those who enjoyed her GRAMMY nominated hit "Issues" or who've been fans of her songwriting for artists such as Fifth Harmony, Selena Gomez, or Demi Lovato know that Julia Michaels is a creative force to be reckoned with. Her strength in verse and harmony, coming in toward the end of Urban's latest, is warm and riveting at the same time.

Jan 28, 2018 – 8:14 pm

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Speaking to GRAMMY Museum Executive Director and "Required Listening" podcast host Scott Goldman at SXSW on March 16, Urban credited his affinity for collaborations as having made a big contribution to his artistic development. He also spoke about his upcoming album Graffiti U and summer tour. So in addition to the joys of "Coming Home," Urban's fans have a lot to look forward to.

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