Just because Keith Urban has one way of making music, doesn’t mean he thinks it’s the only way. Urban is speaking out about artists like Morgan Wallen and Zach Bryan, who have released albums with a lot of songs on them. It’s a sharp contrast to how Urban, whose latest album HIGH has 12 songs, releases his music, but he insists there is room for everyone.
“I guess people are motivated by different things,” Urban tells Cleveland.com. “Some are motivated by streaming numbers and metrics and wanting to get those numbers up. But they may also say, ‘I like offering my fans a massive smorgasbord of songs to choose from.’ There’s no right or wrong, there’s just being true to your art and your music and what your objective is, what your motivation is for making music.”
Urban recently cautioned new artists who focus too much on streaming. Still, while streaming can quickly elevate artists to having massive careers before they are ready, Urban says it ultimately has only been good for music.
“It’s just been extraordinary what’s happened with the advent of streaming,” Urban says. “I think the biggest pro of all is the ability to create music and get it to your fan base fairly quickly and fairly directly. That’s been extraordinary. I think a lot of those changes have created a different kind of career for people, and a different kind of expectation for a career.”
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Some artists have, in fact, stopped making records entirely, in favor of just releasing as many singles as possible. It’s not how Urban wants to give his fans music, but he stops short of saying that method is wrong.
“I think it’s relative to every artist’s authentic self,” the 57-year-old says. “Certain artists lean more into singles type of work, or EPs. Other artists lean into albums, and I think they grow audiences that are attuned to that, too — like, Eric Church is an album artist. I feel like I’m an album artist but also singles-oriented. And then there’s everything in-between. I like the fact that we live in a time when you can do just whatever — make singles, make EPs, make one-offs, make double albums with 30-plus songs. Whatever it is you’re into, just be authentic.”
The caution, according to Urban, for artists who become instant success stories after dropping a song, is that they are too focused on their present to develop any longterm plans for their career.
“What I think we’re seeing a lot of right now is potentially short-term decisions by certain artists,” Urban tells The Oakland Press. “They have umpteen million TikTok followers, and they go out and headline and all of that. They’re motivated by streaming numbers and metrics and wanting to get those numbers up. It’s not about going the distance and building steadily and solidly for a long-term career.”
Urban is currently headlining his High and Alive World Tour. Find HIGH and all of his music and upcoming shows at KeithUrban.com.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of CMA