Country superstar Keith Urban released his 10th studio album today, Graffiti U. In a behind-the-scenes trailer for the project, Urban reveals the meaning of the album's title and the production-focused writing process that shaped the album's eclectic sound.
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"The title of 'Graffiti U' came quite a way into recording," Urban says in the video. "I was trying to find something that felt like all the songs. And I thought, it's a very expressive album, musically. It's very honest. It's very pure expression from me. The studio's like a blank canvas, and the more I thought about that, the more I thought about graffiti. The word 'graffiti' kept coming to me. It felt right. Then I thought, well there's also the audience. That's what the 'U' is. It's inclusive. I just simply changed 'U' to the first letter of my last name."
Urban also shares with his fans that every song except one on his new album was co-produced by the song's co-writer, a unique approach that accounts for the album's multiple sonic personalities.
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"As much as they change, stylistically there might be a real wide range of styles and feels and energies covered on the record," says Urban. "I think there's a very strong through line, and that's my contribution to it, either in the writing or certainly in the producing, because I'm involved in every track."
Urban will be at Stagecoach on April 28, followed by two more festival appearances before he hits the road in support of Graffiti U, starting on June 15 in St. Louis, Mo. For a full list of tour dates and ticket information, visit Urban's website.
