Keith Urban embraced a “euphoric” new chapter in his career when he took the stage on the second night of the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Festival presented by Capital One on Saturday (September 21). The country star’s performance arrives one day after he debuted his new 12-track record, HIGH. Urban performed some of his newest songs and mixed in a few career-spanning staples — and a notable lyric swap, nodding to the reigning CMA and ACM Entertainer of the Year — on the T-Mobile Arena stage in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Urban kicked off his set with “Straight Line,” the first track he released from his newest album. Earlier this year, he described it as “a song born of wanting to break out of routine and feeling like somewhere along the line, life lost some color and excitement.” That song, like Urban’s live performances, aim to offer listeners a “liberated feeling,” he previously said in a statement. The 2024 iHeartRadio Music Festival set also included renditions of “Wildside” and “Messed Up As Me,” which tells the story of a “dysfunctional” and “toxic” relationship. Urban delivered the debut live performance at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee, and premiered a music video that captures the city’s night life on Lower Broadway.
“Life is about contrasts - highs, lows, confidence, insecurity, love found, love lost, clarity, blurry, disciplined, and then the next minute, couldn’t care less. Sexy, warm summers and lonely, cold winters. This album flows with all of these in various ways,” Urban said in a statement, in part, when HIGH made its long-awaited debut on Friday (September 20). “Out of all of the things that have changed in my life, one has been a constant. I love making music. The feeling of writing a song that has real magic in it, bringing that song to life in the studio, and then playing it on stage and watching complete strangers sing every word. It’s like walking on the moon (not that I’ve done that YET, but an astronaut hasn’t stood on stage and shredded either so....) My desire is for the ‘flow state,’ and that’s what happened when we started this album HIGH. It just FLOWED and I feel the spirit of the whole album really reflects that. I hope you feel that too.”
Urban also included renditions of “Blue Ain’t Your Color” and closed his set with “Wasted Time,” a 2016 hit that included a lyric swap from “had the guns on the radio,” to “Lainey Wilson on the radio.” Urban teamed up with the reigning CMA and ACM Entertainer of the Year on the sole duet on his newest album, “Go Home W U.” Maggie Baugh subbed for Wilson when Urban performed the song during his exclusive iHeartCountry Album Release Party earlier this week.
- “BLUE SKY” (PRELUDE)
- STRAIGHT LINE
- MESSED UP AS ME
- WILDSIDE
- GO HOME W U (WITH LAINEY WILSON)
- CHUCK TAYLORS
- DAYTONA
- LOVE IS HARD
- HEART LIKE A HOMETOWN
- LAUGHIN’ ALL THE WAY TO THE DRANK
- DODGE IN A SILVERADO
- BREAK THE CHAIN
Urban celebrated his latest full-length record by hosting a free, surprise pop-up concert for thousands of unsuspecting fans in Nashville. It was the country hitmaker’s latest — and largest — pop-up show, following performances in airports and in a Buc-ee’s parking lot last month in Alabama. Urban is gearing up for his 10-night residency, KEITH URBAN’S HIGH in Vegas, at Fontainebleau. The shows kick off on October 4, and span through February 22, 2025.
Other artists who performed throughout the two-night festival include Big Sean, Camila Cabello, Doja Cat, Thomas Rhett, Hozier, Gwen Stefani, New Kids on the Block, Paramore, Shaboozey, The Black Crowes, Victoria Monét, and more. It’s all hosted by Ryan Seacrest.
If you missed any of the action this weekend, or just want to re-live it all, an iHeartRadio Music Festival special including highlights from the event will be available to stream on Hulu on October 7th.