High (Keith Urban album)

High
Studio album by
Keith Urban
Released20 September 2024
Studio
Length39:50
Label
Producer
Keith Urban chronology
The Speed of Now Part 1
(2020) 		High
(2024)
Singles from High
  1. "Straight Line"
    Released: 21 January 2025
  2. "Messed Up as Me"
    Released: 1 March 2024
  3. "Go Home W U"
    Released: 3 May 2024
  4. "Wildside"
    Released: 28 June 2024

High is the twelfth studio album by New Zealand-born Australian country music singer Keith Urban. The album was released on 20 September 2024 via Hit Red and Capitol Records Nashville.[1]

Background

High marks Urban's first studio album since The Speed of Now Part 1 (2020). He began working on an album in 2022, tentatively titled 615, but ultimately scrapped the project.[2] Several of the songs from that project eventually made their way onto High, a 12-track set that he titled after the feeling of "euphoria" he felt during the creative process.[1] On the title, Urban said: "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."[3]

Urban wrote the album's opening interlude and co-wrote six of its tracks, and it features a collaboration with Lainey Wilson ("Go Home W U").[1]

"Straight Line" was released as the album's lead single in February 2024.[4] It was followed by "Messed Up as Me", the first single promoted to country radio in the United States and Canada, in March 2024.[5] "Go Home W U" and "Wildside" were released as additional singles ahead of the album release.[3]

Track listing

High track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Blue Sky"Keith Urban 0:12
2."Straight Line"
  • Urban
  • Wells
3:46
3."Messed Up as Me"
3:16
4."Wildside"
  • Urban
  • Huff
2:47
5."Go Home W U" (with Lainey Wilson)
  • Urban
  • Sumser
  • Small
3:47
6."Chuck Taylors"
  • Urban
  • Flowers
  • McGill
  • Wells
  • Urban
  • Wells
3:34
7."Daytona"
  • Urban
  • Huff
2:58
8."Love Is Hard"
  • Urban
  • Cannata
2:52
9."Heart Like a Hometown"
  • Casey Brown
  • Matt Roy
  • Parker Welling
  • Urban
  • Huff
2:46
10."Laughin' All the Way to the Drank"
  • Urban
  • Elizondo
4:31
11."Dodge in a Silverado"
  • Thomas Archer
  • Ben Stennis
  • Michael Tyler
  • Urban
  • Huff
4:54
12."Break the Chain"
  • Urban
  • Scibilia
4:24
Total length:39:50

Personnel

Musicians

  • Keith Urban – lead vocals (all tracks), electric guitar (tracks 2–7, 9–12), background vocals (2–6, 8–12), acoustic guitar (3, 4, 6, 7, 9–12), piano (3, 7, 11), 12-string acoustic guitar (3), ganjo (4, 6, 10), bass (5, 6), EBow (6, 9); Del Oro acoustic guitar, percussion (12)
  • Greg Wells – keyboards, programming (tracks 2, 6); bass, drum programming (2); drums, rototoms (6)
  • Jerry Flowers – acoustic guitar, background vocals (tracks 2, 6); mandolin (2)
  • Aaron Sterling – drums (track 2)
  • Dann Huff – electric guitar (tracks 3, 4, 7, 9, 11), acoustic guitar (3)
  • David Huff – programming (tracks 3, 4, 9), percussion (3)
  • Jimmie Lee Sloas – bass (tracks 3, 7, 9)
  • Charlie Judge – synthesizer (tracks 3, 7), piano (4, 7), keyboards (4, 9)
  • Matt Chamberlain – drums (track 3), programming (7)
  • Michael Lotten – acoustic guitar, keyboards, programming (track 3)
  • Jerry Roe – drums (tracks 4–6, 11)
  • Terence F. Clark – percussion (track 4), drums (7, 9, 10)
  • Josh Reedy – background vocals (tracks 4, 11)
  • Craig Young – bass (track 4)
  • David Garcia – programming (track 4)
  • Sean Small – background vocals, programming (track 5)
  • Sam Sumser – background vocals, programming (track 5)
  • Lainey Wilson – vocals (track 5)
  • Breland – background vocals (track 5)
  • Paul Mabury – drums (track 6)
  • Nathan Barlowe – keyboards (track 7)
  • Eren Cannata – acoustic guitar, background vocals, drums, electric guitar, keyboards, percussion, programming (track 8)
  • Justin Tranter – background vocals (track 8)
  • Mike Elizondo – bass , drum programming, keyboards (track 10)
  • Jenee Fleenor – fiddle (track 10)
  • DJ Battlecat – scratching (track 10)
  • Blair Whitlow – background vocals (track 10)
  • Denise Carite – background vocals (track 10)
  • Mark Hill – bass (track 11)
  • Gordon Mote – piano (track 11)
  • Marc Scibilia – background vocals, piano, syntheiszer (track 12)
  • Lewis Wright – drums (track 12)

Technical

  • Joe Causey – mastering
  • Sean Moffitt – mixing (tracks 2, 4–7, 9–12), recording (2, 4–7, 9, 11)
  • Chris Lord-Alge – mixing (track 3)
  • Serban Ghenea – mixing (track 8)
  • Mark Dobson – recording (tracks 2, 4, 6, 10)
  • Joe Chiccarelli – recording (tracks 2, 6)
  • Justin Niebank – recording (track 3)
  • Sam Sumser – recording (track 5)
  • Sean Small – recording (track 5)
  • Eren Cannata – recording (track 8)
  • James Meslin – recording (track 8)
  • Topher Wright – recording (track 8)
  • Justin Francis – recording (track 10)
  • Bryce Bordone – mixing assistance (track 8)
  • Joel McKenney – recording assistance (tracks 2, 4–7, 9)
  • Bill Mims – recording assistance (tracks 2, 6)
  • Sean Badum – recording assistance (track 3)
  • Amber Jones – recording assistance (track 8)
  • Erica Block – recording assistance (track 10)
  • Alex Wilder – recording assistance (track 10)
  • Scott Greenblatt – recording assistance (track 12)

Visuals

  • Patrick Tracy – art direction, design
  • Jordan Curtis Hughes – back cover photo, booklet photos
  • Daniel Prakopcyk – cover photo, booklet photos
  • Katie Galliher – grooming
  • Peter Lamden – grooming
  • Wendy Schecter – wardrobe styling
  • Amanda Merten – wardrobe styling
  • Karen Naff – art production

Charts

Chart performance for High
Chart (2024) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[6] 3
Australian Country Albums (ARIA)[7] 1
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[8] 71
Scottish Albums (OCC)[9] 24
UK Album Downloads (OCC)[10] 15
UK Country Albums (OCC)[11] 2
US Billboard 200[12] 38
US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[13] 10

Accolades

Year-end lists
Publication Rank List
Rolling Stone 28 The 30 Best Country Albums of 2024[14]

References

  1. ^ a b c LB Cantrell (20 September 2024). "Keith Urban Releases Creatively Euphoric New Album [Interview]". Music Row. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  2. ^ LB Cantrell (9 August 2024). "Keith Urban Talks 'Following The Muse' Ahead Of New Album 'High' [Interview]". Music Row. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  3. ^ a b Jessica Lynch (28 June 2024). "Keith Urban Announces New Album 'High,' Shares First Single 'Wildside'". Billboard. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  4. ^ "Keith Urban releases 'Straight Line,' first track from new album". UPI. 2 February 2024. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  5. ^ Bjorke, Matt (1 March 2024). "Keith Urban Releases New Single "Messed Up As Me"". Roughstock. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  6. ^ "ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. 30 September 2024. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  7. ^ "ARIA Top 40 Country Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. 30 September 2024. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  8. ^ "Keith Urban Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  9. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  10. ^ "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  11. ^ "Official Country Artists Albums Chart Top 20". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  12. ^ "Keith Urban Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  13. ^ "Keith Urban Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  14. ^ "Best Country Albums of 2024". Rolling Stone. 11 December 2024. Retrieved 12 December 2024.