Keith Urban Cranks Up the Hard Rock in New Song ‘Tumbleweed’

Keith Urban cranks up and sings an ode to a free spirit in his new song “Tumbleweed,” released on Friday. It’s Urban’s latest offering from the forthcoming album The Speed of Now Part 1, due out September 18th.

“Tumbleweed” — written by the Cadillac Three’s Jaren Johnston and Neil Mason, with James McNair — kicks off in familiar Urban fashion, piling its components on top of a funky six-string banjo riff played by the ace guitarist. But this one’s paced a lot faster than recent Urban tunes, appropriate for being an ode to a fast-moving woman that has him smitten. “I’m your Billy the Kid, so baby let’s giddy-up gone,” he sings, the band evoking the brisker-than-brisk pace and palm-muted crunch of hard rock as he pledges to come along for the ride. By the song’s end, Urban has his Stratocaster in hand and shreds his way through a horns-worthy guitar solo.

Urban has already released a handful of songs from The Speed of Now Part 1, including “Polaroid,” “Change Your Mind,” and “Superman.” The 15-track project is the follow-up to Urban’s 2018 release Graffiti U.

Just before his album is set to drop, Urban will take the reins as a first-time host of the Academy of Country Music Awards. Originally slated for mid-April, the show was postponed to September 16th due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The rescheduled event will now take place in Nashville, with performances happening at the Grand Ole Opry House, the Ryman Auditorium, and the Bluebird Cafe.