Graffiti U

Graffiti U
Studio album by Keith Urban
Released 27 April 2018 (2018-04-27)
Recorded 2017–18, Nashville
Length 52:00
Label
Producer
Keith Urban chronology
Ripcord
(2016)Ripcord2016		 Graffiti U
(2018)
Singles from Graffiti U
  1. "Female"
    Released: 8 November 2017
  2. "Parallel Line"
    Released: 18 January 2018
  3. "Coming Home"
    Released: 21 March 2018
  4. "Never Comin Down"
    Released: 31 August 2018

Graffiti U is the tenth studio album by New Zealand-born Australian country music singer Keith Urban. It was released on 27 April 2018 via Hit Red and Capitol Records Nashville. The album was heavily influenced by experiences from Urban's youth, and includes the singles "Female", "Parallel Line", and "Coming Home" (featuring Julia Michaels), and "Never Comin Down". The album has received mixed reviews from critics.

Background

Keith Urban said that his first influences were records made by such artists as Johnny Cash, Charley Pride, and Merle Haggard that his father collected. After quitting school at age 15, he performed in cover bands that played a variety of musical styles. Urban also explained that Graffiti U was a combination of those styles he performed during his youth and listened to in his father's record collection.[1]

Graffiti U is neither a song title nor a lyric on the record, but rather a phrase that Urban had come up with.[2] The word "graffiti" came to him while he was working the album, because the process was like graffiti for him. "I have always loved that word, loved the sound of the word, and have loved that it's art-driven," he said.[3] Urban added that "graffiti is free and pure, and very personal" and said, "I thought that this record feels like that to me."[4] He also mentioned that the "U" part was "[both] the audience [and] the listener".[3]

Promotion

The song "Female" was performed live during the 2017 CMA Awards. Urban also performed. On April 23, he performed the song at a Spotify "Fans First" event in Nashville, Tennessee along with "Parallel Line", which he sang with wife Nicole Kidman, and "Wasted Time", from his previous album Ripcord. At the event, he took questions from fans and displayed murals created by five local artists inspired by songs from the album.[5]

Singles

"Female" was released as the album's lead single on 8 November 2017. It was inspired by the Me Too movement.[6] It reached number 12 on the US Billboard Country Airplay chart, his first single to miss the top 10 since his 1999 hit "It's a Love Thing".[7] "Parallel Line" was released as the album's second single on 18 January 2018. A third single, "Coming Home" featuring American singer-songwriter Julia Michaels was released on 21 March 2018. The song reached number 3 on the Country Airplay chart.

Critical reception

Graffiti U has received several mixed reviews from music critics. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic gave the album three out of five stars, criticising Urban's attempt to address complicated sexual politics. He pointed to the song "Gemini", questioning the narrator's solidarity due to the provocative lyrics.[8] Rolling Stone gave a two-and-a-half-star review of the album, mentioning the same issue with the lyrical content.[6]

Commercial performance

In the United States, Graffiti U debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 with 145,000 album-equivalent units of which 137,000 were in pure album sales. The album benefited from a concert ticket/album sale redemption offer with Urban's latest tour, which began on June 15, 2018. It became Urban's seventh top 10 album in the country.[9] It also debuted atop the Top Country Albums chart, becoming Urban's sixth number-one album on that chart.[10] In its second week, the album fell to number 18 on the Billboard 200 and number three on the Top Country Albums chart, with 17,100 copies sold that week.[11] As of September 2018, the album has sold 246,900 copies in the United States.[12]

Track listing

Adapted from iTunes.[13]

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)[14]Length
1."Coming Home" (featuring Julia Michaels)
[lower-alpha 1]
  • Urban
  • Rotem
3:33
2."Never Comin' Down"
  • Urban
  • Kerr
3:34
3."Same Heart"
  • Urban
  • Evigan
3:36
4."My Wave (Intro)"  0:28
5."My Wave" (featuring Shy Carter)
  • Urban
  • Wells
3:32
6."Parallel Line"
[lower-alpha 2]
  • Urban
  • Blanco
  • Sheeran
  • McDaid
4:13
7."Drop Top" (featuring Kassi Ashton)
3:44
8."Way Too Long"
Holter3:15
9."Horses" (featuring Lindsay Ell)
  • Urban
  • Rad
3:37
10."Gemini"
  • Urban
  • Kirkpatrick
4:09
11."Texas Time (Intro)"  0:10
12."Texas Time"
  • Max Townsley
  • Drew Erickson
  • Steve Lindsey
  • Dillon O'Brian
4:51
13."Love the Way It Hurts (So Good)"
  • Urban
  • Ben Berger
  • Ryan Rabin
  • Ryan McMahon
3:21
14."Female"
3:16
15."Steal My Thunder"
  • Urban
  • Evigan
  • Weisband
  • Minton
  • Urban
  • Evigan
7:16
Total length:52:00
Notes
  1. ↑ Contains a sample of "Mama Tried" by Merle Haggard.
  2. ↑ Contains a sample of "Everglow" by Coldplay.

Charts

Chart (2018) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[15] 2
Australian Country Albums (ARIA)[16] 1
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[17] 1
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[18] 32
Scottish Albums (OCC)[19] 65
UK Country Albums (OCC)[20] 9
US Billboard 200[21] 2
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[22] 1

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/Sales
Australia (ARIA)[23] Gold 35,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

  1. ↑ "Go Into The Studio And 'Start Flicking Paint Around': Keith Urban On Making 'Graffiti U'". www.wbur.org. April 25, 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  2. ↑ ""She lives this album with me": How Nicole Kidman helped shape Keith Urban's Graffiti U". Beatrice News Channel. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  3. 1 2 Tingle, Lauren (April 24, 2018). "Keith Urban Delivers Graffiti U in His Own Words". CMT News. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  4. ↑ "Keith Urban's 'Graffiti U' Title Inspired by His Loyal Fans". Country Music. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  5. ↑ "Keith Urban Is Using Murals to Bring 'Graffiti U' Album to Life". Taste of Country. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  6. 1 2 "Review: Keith Urban's 'Graffiti U' Is Work of Eclectic, Enlightened Man". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  7. ↑ "Keith Urban Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  8. ↑ "Graffiti U – Keith Urban | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  9. ↑ Caulfield, Keith (6 May 2018). "Post Malone's 'Beerbongs & Bentleys' Breaks Streaming Record, Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  10. ↑ Asker, Jim (8 May 2018). "Keith Urban Writes Latest No. 1 Chapter With 'Graffiti U' on Top Country Albums Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
  11. ↑ Bjorke, Matt (May 14, 2018). "Top 10 Country Albums Sales Chart: May 14, 2018". Roughstock. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
  12. ↑ Bjorke, Matt (September 24, 2018). "Top 10 Country Albums Sales Chart: September 24, 2018". Roughstock. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  13. ↑ "Graffiti U by Keith Urban". iTunes Store (AU). Retrieved 28 April 2018.
  14. ↑ Nicholson, Jessica (18 April 2018). "Collaborators, Writer Credits Revealed For Keith Urban's 'Graffiti U'". MusicRow. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
  15. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Keith Urban – Graffiti U". Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
  16. ↑ "ARIA Australian Top 40 Country Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. 7 May 2018. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
  17. ↑ "Keith Urban Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
  18. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Keith Urban – Graffiti U". Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 May 2018.
  19. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
  20. ↑ "Official Country Artists Albums Chart Top 20". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  21. ↑ "Keith Urban Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
  22. ↑ "Keith Urban Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
  23. ↑ "ARIA Australian Top 50 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. 10 September 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
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