Recorded 2009 Length 3:46 | Genre Country rock Label Capitol Nashville | |
Released 10 March 2009 (2009-03-10) Format CD single, digital download | ||
"Kiss a Girl" is a song co-written and recorded by Australian country music singer Keith Urban. It was released digitally on 10 March 2009 and to radio on 16 March 2009 as the second single from his 2009 album Defying Gravity. The song peaked at number 3 on the Hot Country Songs chart and at No. 16 on the Hot 100, making it his highest peak on the latter and only Top 20 to date.
Contents
The song was performed live by Urban and eventual Idol winner Kris Allen during the finale of the eighth season of American Idol on 20 May 2009. "Kiss a Girl" is part of the track list for Now That's What I Call Country Volume 2.
Content
"Kiss a Girl" is a moderate up-tempo song in which the male narrator expresses a desire to fall in love with a female.
Critical reception
Thom Jurek of AllMusic cited "Kiss a Girl" as a standout track on the album, calling it a "tight little rocker". He said that it and "Sweet Thing", the album's first single, "are 21st century equivalents of rock & roll love songs." Jonathan Keefe of Slant Magazine described the song unfavorably, saying that it was a retread of his previous single "Sweet Thing", which itself was described as a retread of Urban's earlier material.
Music videos
Both a finalised and a promotional music video for "Kiss a Girl" are available for view on CMT and were both directed by Chris Hicky.
Promotional video
The promotional video for the song premiered first in April 2009 on CMT's website. It consists of Urban and his band performing in front of a green screen. Some of these scenes were later edited and included the TV video.
Official video
The official video was found on iTunes on 25 May 2009. It consists of Urban and the band performing in an animated city. Also included is two people who eventually find each other and fall in love. At the end, the ferris wheel they ride displays "KISS" on each car, a reference to the song's title. This video debuted on CMT's Top Twenty Countdown at No. 11 for the week of 5 June 2009 and has peaked at No. 2. It also reached No. 3 on GAC's Top 20 Countdown.