Urban shared stories behind some of his newest songs, including “Heart Like A Hometown,” inspired by his unique definition of the term. Urban explained that throughout his childhood, his family moved often. He’d attended four schools and lived in nine houses by the time he was in 5th grade, so to the global superstar, “a ‘hometown’ felt more about my family, and a place inside of me, somewhere I could find my center. It’s a theme that’s always spoken to me.”

“I wrote “GO HOME W U” in 2020 with BRELAND, Sam (Sumser) and Sean (Small),” Urban previously said of his duet with Wilson, though it was never intended to be a duet. Urban added during his iHeartCountry Album Release Party that Wilson’s voice captivated him from the moment he heard it. “We had a blast writing it. It started out as a late-night drum loop, I grabbed a bass guitar and started playing a simple recurring bass line. Before we knew it, we were writing a chorus that could be sung by any drunk person in any bar anywhere in the world.”

“BLUE SKY” (PRELUDE)
STRAIGHT LINE
MESSED UP AS ME
WILDSIDE
GO HOME W U (WITH LAINEY WILSON)
CHUCK TAYLORS
DAYTONA
LOVE IS HARD
HEART LIKE A HOMETOWN
LAUGHIN’ ALL THE WAY TO THE DRANK
DODGE IN A SILVERADO
BREAK THE CHAIN

Urban, who’s kicking off his 10-show KEITH URBAN’S HIGH in Vegas next month, announced HIGH in late June. He explained at that time that it’s “the result of a prior record I started in 2022. It’s 40 minutes top to bottom, and is completely expressive, true, honest and is so much more of what I actually wanted to say when making that scrapped record. I hope these songs bring you joy, levity, some new understanding, energy, and escape!”

“When I’m writing a song, or when I’m in the studio recording it, or even when its coming to life on the stage, it’s the same feeling of being ‘in the flow.’ It’s timeless, it’s weightless – and I feel euphoric – I feel HIGH,” Urban previously said in a statement via his record label of HIGH. “What makes you ‘high’ can mean whatever you want it to mean. It might be physical, spiritual, herbal, meditative, chemical or musical, but it’s definitely a place of utopia.”

Urban is one of many artists taking the stage at the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Festival, returning to the T-Mobile Arena stage on September 20 and 21 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Other artists in the genre-spanning lineup include Big Sean, Camila Cabello, Doja Cat, Gwen Stefani, Hozier, Thomas Rhett, New Kids on the Block, Paramore, Shaboozey, The Black Crowes, Victoria Monét, and more. Ryan Seacrest will host the two-day festival. Tickets are available to the general public now on AXS.com. Watch this year’s iHeartRadio Music Festival on Hulu at 7:30 p.m. PT/10:30 p.m. ET.

Bob Delmont