Defying Gravity (Keith Urban album)

Background

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." 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. 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.

The song "Hit the Ground Runnin'" was made into a music video despite it not being released as a single from the album.

Commercial

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.

Critical

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. 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.

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." 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."

Promotion

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.

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.

Personnel