Description
Keith Urban – The Speed Of Now Part 1 – Double Vinyl Record
Keith Urban – The Speed of Now Part 1 (released September 18, 2020) is a vibrant, genre-blending country-pop album that reflects Urban’s ongoing evolution as one of country music’s most adventurous and accessible artists. Arriving during a time of global uncertainty—mid-pandemic, post-genre streaming era, and shifting musical norms—The Speed of Now Part 1 is both a snapshot of its moment and a continuation of Urban’s long-running mission to push the boundaries of contemporary country music.
The album builds on the sleek, electronically infused pop-country sound of Urban’s earlier releases like Ripcord (2016) and Graffiti U (2018), but with a tighter focus and more emotional clarity. It’s packed with big hooks, layered production, cross-genre collaborations, and the kind of slick musicianship that has always underpinned Urban’s work. What makes this project particularly notable is its fusion of introspection and celebration—a mix of upbeat anthems and more vulnerable, stripped-down reflections, all delivered with Urban’s signature optimism and heartfelt tone.
The opening track, “Out the Cage” (feat. Breland & Nile Rodgers), sets the tone for the album’s genre-hopping energy. It’s a high-octane blend of country, funk, EDM, and pop-rock, with Breland (a rising genre-bending artist) and Nile Rodgers (of Chic fame) contributing rhythmic flair and crossover appeal. The message—breaking free, seeking liberation—feels especially resonant in a year marked by isolation and change. It’s both an artistic mission statement and a stylistic jolt, reflecting Urban’s refusal to be boxed into any one musical identity.
One of the most emotionally resonant tracks is “God Whispered Your Name,” a gospel-tinged ballad that speaks of redemption through love. It was the album’s lead single and one of its most successful radio hits, topping Billboard’s Country Airplay chart. The song showcases Urban’s vocal warmth and emotional sincerity, leaning more into his country roots while still embracing modern production techniques like ambient reverb and subtle digital layering. It’s a standout for its simplicity and soulfulness.
Urban also shines in more introspective moments. Tracks like “Polaroid” and “Change Your Mind” blend storytelling with sleek, ambient-pop arrangements. “Polaroid” in particular feels nostalgic and modern at once, a metaphor-rich meditation on memory and fleeting romance, set to a shimmering electronic backdrop. These songs demonstrate Urban’s ability to embrace technology and trend without sacrificing emotional core—a balance few contemporary country artists pull off as successfully.
Collaborations play a central role on this album, highlighting Urban’s love for cross-genre dialogue. Besides Breland and Nile Rodgers, “One Too Many,” a duet with P!nk, stands out as the album’s big crossover moment. It’s a mid-tempo breakup-and-makeup anthem that fuses country-pop with adult contemporary sensibilities. P!nk’s raw vocal delivery contrasts beautifully with Urban’s smoother tones, and the song became an international hit, demonstrating his global appeal.
Lyrically, The Speed of Now Part 1 explores love, longing, self-doubt, escape, and connection. Urban rarely dives into overt political or social commentary, but there’s a thread of resilience and emotional openness running through the album that speaks to the shared anxieties of the time. Even the more upbeat tracks—like “Tumbleweed” with its blues-rock riff and driving rhythm—carry a sense of urgency and motion, reflecting the album’s title: an acknowledgment of the fast-paced, ever-changing moment we’re living in, and Urban’s desire to keep up without losing his grounding.
Sonically, the album is impeccably produced. Urban himself is a co-producer across the record, and his guitar playing—while more textural than front-and-center—is still a vital force throughout. He layers acoustic and electric textures beneath glossy synths and beats, creating a genre-fluid sound that is equal parts country, pop, rock, and dance. While this eclecticism might alienate traditionalists, it cements Urban’s role as one of country music’s true boundary-pushers, someone more interested in emotional truth than genre purity.
Critically, The Speed of Now Part 1 received generally favorable reviews, with praise for its ambition, polish, and contemporary feel. Some critics noted that it leans heavily on production trends, occasionally at the expense of narrative depth, but even then, Urban’s charisma and craftsmanship remain unmistakable. Commercially, it debuted at No. 1 on the Top Country Albums chart and performed well internationally, reaffirming his global reach.
In the context of his career, The Speed of Now Part 1 is another step in Urban’s ongoing artistic evolution—less about reinvention and more about expansion. It continues his journey as a genre diplomat, someone who can walk into the world of EDM, rock, gospel, and pop without ever losing sight of the emotional storytelling that defines country music at its best.
Brand new, never played and still sealed in the factory plastic
Track Listing
Out Of Cage
One Too Many
Live With
Superman
Change Your Mind
Forever
Say Something
Soul Food
Ain´t It Like A Woman
With You
Tumbleweed
God Whispered Your Name
Polaroid
We Were
Better Than I Am
