Get Closer (Keith Urban album)

Get Closer is the seventh studio album by Australian country music artist Keith Urban. It was released on 16 November 2010 via Hit Red and Capitol Nashville.[4] It produced four singles between 2010 and 2011, three of which went to number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. This was Urban's first album to not be certified Platinum. Also, it’s his first to not have a single reach the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Get Closer
Studio album by
Released16 November 2010 (2010-11-16)
Recorded2010
Genre
Length33:38 (standard edition)
78:21 (deluxe edition)
Label
ProducerDann Huff
Keith Urban
Chris McHugh (live tracks)
Keith Urban chronology
Defying Gravity
(2009)
Get Closer
(2010)
The Story So Far
(2012)
Singles from Get Closer
  1. "Put You in a Song"
    Released: 13 September 2010
  2. "Without You"
    Released: 7 February 2011
  3. "Long Hot Summer"
    Released: 27 June 2011
  4. "You Gonna Fly[3]"
    Released: 24 October 2011

Content

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The lead single, "Put You in a Song", was co-written by Keith Urban along with fellow artists Sarah Buxton (who co-wrote Urban's 2006 single "Stupid Boy") and Jedd Hughes.[5] From 26 October (Urban's 43rd birthday) to 9 November 2010, one track from the album was released to the US iTunes Store each week (a trend Urban's previous album Defying Gravity followed). Those songs were "Without You", "Long Hot Summer", and "You Gonna Fly" respectively. These three songs (beginning with "Long Hot Summer") were released to the Australian iTunes store on 22 October 29 October, and 5 November 2010. The full album was released on 12 November in Australia.

"Without You", "Long Hot Summer", and "You Gonna Fly" were all released as the album's second, third, and fourth singles in 2011 and they all reached number one on the country charts. Urban co-produced the studio tracks with Dann Huff, and the live bonus tracks with Chris McHugh.

Cover art

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Before the album's release, Urban announced a contest in which fans vote for which photo to be the album cover.[6] On 11 October 2010, the official album cover was revealed; it depicts Urban sitting in front of a bed with his guitar beside him.[7]

Reception

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Commercial

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The album debuted at number seven on the U.S. Billboard 200 and number two on the U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums, selling 162,000 copies its first week of release.[8] As of 4 August 2013, the album has sold 743,000 copies in the US.[9] The album was certified Platinum by the RIAA for one million units in sales, tracks and streams on 17 April 2017.[10]

Critical

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic     [1]
The Boston Globe(favorable)[11]
Country Weekly     [12]
Entertainment Weekly(B)[13]
Los Angeles Times     [14]
The New York Times     [15]
Rolling Stone     [2]
Roughstock     [16]
Slant Magazine     [17]
The Washington Post(favorable)[18]

Upon its release, Get Closer received generally positive reviews from most music critics.[19] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 76, based on 7 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".[19]

Jessica Phillips of Country Weekly gave it a four-star rating, saying "the sugared tunes would be easy to dismiss except for the credible guitar riffs, foot-tapping rhythms and fiery passion with which Keith sings".[12] Andrew Leahey of Allmusic gave it a four star rating, calling it "a lean collection of country-rockers and bedroom ballads".[1] Sarah Rodman of The Boston Globe gave it a favorable review, describing it as something "lean but enjoyable".[11] Blake Boldt of Engine 145 gave the album 3½, responding with "On Get Closer, the affable Aussie celebrates life with a group of eight uplifting songs offering one cohesive message: love is grand".[20]

Matt Bjorke of Roughstock gave it a 3½-star rating, saying "this album is all about happiness with your romantic life. Every song on this short 8 track album discusses matters of the heart with each song discussing various ways that relationships can have on a life".[16] Bill Friskics-Warren of The Washington Post gave it a favorable review, saying "if you're not in the mood for love, the music here – highly burnished country-rock – affords pleasures of its own".[18] Jonathan Keefe with Slant Magazine gave it 3½ stars, calling it "vintage Urban" and saying that "Get Closer his is most carefully edited album, if not necessarily his best".[17] Rolling Stone critic Jon Dolan gave it a 3 star rating, calling it "good-natured country rock".[2]

Track listing

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Standard/CD/MP3 download
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Put You in a Song"Keith Urban, Sarah Buxton, Jedd Hughes3:39
2."You Gonna Fly"Preston Brust, Chris Lucas, Jaren Johnston3:36
3."All for You"Busbee, Chris Eaton3:37
4."Long Hot Summer"Urban, Richard Marx4:32
5."Without You"Joe West, Dave Pahanish3:54
6."Georgia Woods"Urban, Darrell Brown5:17
7."Right On Back to You"Urban, Brown4:47
8."Shut Out the Lights"Urban, Monty Powell4:16
Total length:33:38
Target deluxe edition bonus tracks[21]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
9."Big Promises"Urban, Dan Wilson3:47
10."The Luxury of Knowing"Lori McKenna4:14
11."Winning"Russell Glyn Ballard3:38
12."Once in a Lifetime" (Live)Urban, John Shanks7:09
13."You Look Good in My Shirt" (Live)Mark Nesler, Tom Shapiro, Tony Martin5:18
14."Better Life" (Live)Urban, Marx5:42
15."Everybody" (Live)Urban, Marx6:55
Total length:78:21

Personnel

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Charts and certifications

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Singles

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Year Single Peak chart positions
US Country US CAN AUS
2010 "Put You in a Song"[32] 2 53 49
2011 "Without You"[33] 1 52 69 39
"Long Hot Summer" 1 45 35 82
"You Gonna Fly" 1 54 66
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Get Closer – Keith Urban". Allmusic. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  2. ^ a b c Dolan, Jon (16 November 2010), "Get Closer by Keith Urban", Rolling Stone, archived from the original on 6 December 2010, retrieved 11 December 2010
  3. ^ Conaway, Alanna (11 October 2011). "Keith Urban Ends His 'Long Hot Summer' by Topping the Country Singles Charts". Taste of Country. Retrieved 11 October 2011.
  4. ^ "CMT : News : Keith Urban Announces New Album and Single". CMT. 3 September 2010. Archived from the original on 6 September 2010. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
  5. ^ Coniff, Tamara; Ray Waddell (11 November 2006). "Urban Developments". Billboard: 32.
  6. ^ "Help Keith Urban Choose His New Album Cover – Country Music Is Love". Country Music Is Love. 30 September 2010. Archived from the original on 9 October 2011. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
  7. ^ Duvall, Erin (11 October 2010). "Keith Urban's 'Get Closer' Cover and Track List Unveiled – The Boot". The Boot. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
  8. ^ Caulfield, Keith (24 November 2010). "Susan Boyle's 'Gift' Tops Rihanna, Kid Rock on Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved 24 November 2010.
  9. ^ a b "I.B. bad previews the big race". Hits Daily Double. Archived from the original on 4 August 2013. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
  10. ^ a b "American album certifications – Keith Urban – Get Closer". Recording Industry Association of America.
  11. ^ a b Rodman, Sarah (15 November 2010). "Keith Urban, 'Get Closer' – The Boston Globe". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
  12. ^ a b Phillips, Jessica (12 November 2010). "Get Closer : Keith Urban – Reviews – Country Weekly Magazine". Country Weekly. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
  13. ^ Wood, Mikael (10 November 2010). "Get Closer". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 14 November 2010. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
  14. ^ Lewis, Randy (16 November 2010). "Keith Urban reveals a piece of himself on 'Get Closer' - latimes.com". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
  15. ^ Chinen, Nate (22 November 2010), "CDs from Ne-Yo, Lloyd Banks and Keith Urban - Review - NYTimes.com", The New York Times, retrieved 11 December 2010
  16. ^ a b Bjorke, Matt (15 November 2010). "Keith Urban – Get Closer | Country Music Reviews". Roughstock.com. Archived from the original on 18 November 2010. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
  17. ^ a b Keefe, Jonathan (14 November 2010). "Keith Urban: Get Closer | Music Review". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
  18. ^ a b Friskics-Warren, Bill (16 November 2010). "Click Track – Album review: Keith Urban, "Get Closer"". The Washington Post. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
  19. ^ a b "Get Closer Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
  20. ^ Boldt, Blake (24 November 2010). "Album Review: Keith Urban – Get Closer". Engine 145. Archived from the original on 18 December 2014. Retrieved 30 December 2010.
  21. ^ Hughes, Donna (18 October 2010). "Keith Urban Gets Even 'Closer' With New Album – The Boot". The Boot. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
  22. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Keith Urban – Get Closer". Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  23. ^ ariacharts.co.au Archived 4 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine accessed on 6 January 2012
  24. ^ "Keith Urban Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  25. ^ "Official Country Artists Albums Chart Top 20". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  26. ^ "Keith Urban Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  27. ^ "Keith Urban Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  28. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2011". Billboard. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  29. ^ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 2011". Billboard. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  30. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2012 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
  31. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Keith Urban – Get Closer". Music Canada.
  32. ^ "Put You in a Song – Keith Urban". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
  33. ^ "Without You – Keith Urban". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved 12 March 2011.