Defying Gravity | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 31 March 2009 | |||
Recorded | 2008–09 | |||
Studio |
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Genre | Country | |||
Length | 48:17 | |||
Label | Capitol Nashville | |||
Producer | Dann Huff Keith Urban | |||
Keith Urban chronology | ||||
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Singles from Defying Gravity | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [1] |
Rolling Stone | [2] |
Slant Magazine | [3] |
Entertainment Weekly | B [4] |
Defying Gravity is the sixth studio album by Australian country music artist Keith Urban. It was released on 31 March 2009 via Capitol Records Nashville. The album produced five singles, released between 2008 and 2010 respectively.
The album sold 171,000 copies during its first week of release. The album was nominated for both the Grammy Award for Best Country Album and the Country Music Association Award for Album of the Year but lost both to Taylor Swift's Fearless . [5]
The title Defying Gravity comes from the lyrics of "If Ever I Could Love" ("Your heart and mine tonight are defying gravity"), a phrase that Urban said "really defined the joyous, optimistic and uplifting spirit that seemed to show itself while making the album." [6] The track "I'm In" was previously recorded by Radney Foster (as a duet with Abra Moore) on his 1998 album See What You Want to See and later by The Kinleys in 2000 from their album II . Just like Urban's version, both Foster's and The Kinleys' versions were singles.
"Sweet Thing", which Urban co-wrote with Monty Powell, is the album's lead-off single. It topped the Billboard country singles chart in March 2009. Urban and Powell also wrote the second single "Kiss a Girl", which peaked at number 3 that same year. "Only You Can Love Me This Way" was released in June 2009 as the album's third single and it went to number 1 as well. The fourth single, "'Til Summer Comes Around", was released in November 2009. Urban's rendition of "I'm In" was released as the album's fifth and final single in May 2010.
"Hit the Ground Runnin'" was made into a music video despite not being released as a single from the album.
Upon its release, Defying Gravity reached number 1 on the all-genre Billboard 200 albums chart, becoming the first album of Urban's career to do so. It sold 171,000 copies in the first week. [7] It has sold 879,000 copies in the United States as of August 2010. [8] The album was certified Platinum by the RIAA on 21 September 2010 for a million copies shipped. [9]
Defying Gravity has received mixed reviews from music critics. Jonathan Keefe of Slant Magazine gave it two-and-a-half stars out of five, saying that the album lacked the "rawness" of his earlier albums. He also said that most of the songs, including its first two singles, were "retread"s of his earlier hits, and that his version of "I'm In" was inferior to The Kinleys'. In addition, he considered the love ballads "schmaltzier impulses", although he also said that it was "a rebound from the bloated, self-indulgent Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Thing " (Urban's last studio album) and noted that "Sweet Thing" showed Urban's and Huff's ability to use a banjo effectively in a rock-influenced song. [3] Rolling Stone critic Mark Kemp, who gave the album two stars out of five, said that it lacked the ambition of Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Thing and had "idyllic" themes. [2]
Thom Jurek gave a four-out-of-five rating in his review for Allmusic. Jurek also noted Urban's use of banjo in more rock-oriented songs, as well as the variety of instruments used overall. He described the first two singles and the "I'm In" cover favorably, saying of "I'm In" that its backing vocals recalled The Rolling Stones, and he called the final track ("Thank You") a "nakedly open paean to wife Nicole [Kidman]." In addition, Jurek considered the album's sound an expansion on Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Thing by "seamlessly combining hook-laden crafty songwriting with a pop sensibility in the modern country vernacular that blazes a new trail." [1] In addition, Entertainment Weekly critic Whitney Pastorek gave a B rating, saying that the album had "Kidman-centric lyrics" but also showed "a gift for making radio-baiting hooks and production feel enthusiastically fresh." [4]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Kiss a Girl" | Keith Urban, Monty Powell | 3:46 |
2. | "If Ever I Could Love" | Urban, Darrell Brown | 5:00 |
3. | "Sweet Thing" | Urban, Powell | 3:48 |
4. | "'Til Summer Comes Around" | Urban, Powell | 5:31 |
5. | "My Heart Is Open" | Urban, John Shanks | 5:29 |
6. | "Hit the Ground Runnin'" | Jerry Flowers, Tony Martin, Mark Nesler | 3:24 |
7. | "Only You Can Love Me This Way" | Steve McEwan, John Reid | 4:07 |
8. | "Standing Right in Front of You" | Urban, Rick Nowels | 4:01 |
9. | "Why's It Feel So Long" | Urban | 3:24 |
10. | "I'm In" | Radney Foster, Georgia Middleman | 4:33 |
11. | "Thank You" | Urban, Nowels | 5:14 |
Total length: | 48:17 |
iTunes had an exclusive offer called "Countdown to Defying Gravity" where every week fans would be able to download a podcast where Urban talks about the song. Also, iTunes had a "Complete My Album" where fans would complete the whole album and get a bonus track, a cover, "Call My Name" originally recorded by the Christian band Third Day for their Revelation album. [10]
Urban appeared on Today and The Ellen DeGeneres Show on 1 April. He sang "Sweet Thing" and "Kiss a Girl" on both shows. He performed "Kiss a Girl" at the Academy of Country Music awards on 12 April. [10]
Weekly charts
| Certifications
|
Chart (2009) | Position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (ARIA) [17] | 50 |
Canadian Albums ( Billboard ) [18] | 40 |
US Billboard 200 [19] | 47 |
US Top Country Albums ( Billboard ) [20] | 10 |
Chart (2010) | Position |
---|---|
US Billboard 200 [21] | 129 |
US Top Country Albums ( Billboard ) [22] | 23 |
Year | Single | Peak chart positions | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US Country | US | US Pop | US AC | CAN | AUS | ||
2008 | "Sweet Thing" | 1 | 30 | — | — | 45 | 96 |
2009 | "Kiss a Girl" | 3 | 16 | 20 | 11 | 34 | 87 |
"Only You Can Love Me This Way" | 1 | 34 | — | — | 49 | — | |
"'Til Summer Comes Around" | 3 | 58 | — | — | 74 | — | |
2010 | "I'm In" | 2 | 67 | — | — | 74 | — |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||
Keith Lionel Urban is an Australian and American country singer, songwriter and guitarist. Recognised with four Grammy Awards, he has also received 15 Academy of Country Music Awards, including the Jim Reeves International Award, 13 CMA Awards, and six ARIA Music Awards. Urban wrote and performed the song "For You" from the film Act of Valor, which earned him nominations at both the 70th Golden Globe Awards and at the 18th Critics' Choice Awards in the respective Best Original Song categories.
Radney Muckleroy Foster is an American country music singer-songwriter, musician and music producer. Initially a songwriter in Nashville, Tennessee, Foster made his recording debut as part of the Foster & Lloyd duo, recording three studio albums and with nine singles on the country charts.
Little Love Letters is the seventh studio album by American country music artist Carlene Carter, released on June 22, 1993. It had one major Billboard Hot Country Songs hit in the No. 3 "Every Little Thing", and two minor ones in the No. 51 "Unbreakable Heart" and No. 50 "I Love You 'Cause I Want To". The album itself rose to No. 35 on the Top Country Albums chart. "Unbreakable Heart" was later covered by Jessica Andrews on her 1999 debut Heart Shaped World, whose version reached No. 24 on the country singles charts.
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Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Thing is the fifth studio album by Australian country music singer Keith Urban. It is his fourth album release in the United States, and his fifth for Capitol Nashville. The album was issued on 7 November 2006. It includes four singles with "Once in a Lifetime", "Stupid Boy", "I Told You So" and "Everybody", all of which were Top 10 hits on the Billboard country charts. The album has been certified Platinum by the RIAA, CRIA, and ARIA. Urban produced the album with Dann Huff except for "Tu Compañía" and "Got It Right This Time", which Urban produced by himself. It won at the 2007 ARIA Music Awards for Best Country Album.
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"Kiss a Girl" is a song recorded by Australian country music singer Keith Urban. It was released in March 2009 as the second single from his 2009 album Defying Gravity. The song reached number three on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. The song also became his highest peak on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 16, and his only top 20 on that chart to date. Urban co-wrote this song with Monty Powell.
II is the second studio album by the American country music duo The Kinleys. It was released on July 18, 2000 as their second and final album for Epic Nashville.
"Only You Can Love Me This Way" is a song written by Steve McEwan and John Reid and recorded by Australian country music singer Keith Urban. It was released in June 2009 as the third single from Urban's 2009 album Defying Gravity. The song became his eleventh number one hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in October 2009.
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