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 is also his first to not have a single hit reach the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Get Closer
Studio album by Keith Urban
Released	16 November 2010
Recorded	2010
Genre	Country pop[1] pop rock[1] country rock[2]
Length	33:38 (standard edition) 74:21 (deluxe edition)
Label	Hit Red Capitol Nashville
Producer	Dann 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
"Put You in a Song" Released: 13 September 2010 "Without You" Released: 7 February 2011 "Long Hot Summer" Released: 27 June 2011 "You Gonna Fly[3]" Released: 24 October 2011

Content

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

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

Commercial

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

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
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

Standard/CD/MP3 download

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Put You in a Song"	Keith Urban, Sarah Buxton, Jedd Hughes	3:39
2.	"You Gonna Fly"	Preston Brust, Chris Lucas, Jaren Johnston	3:36
3.	"All for You"	Busbee, Chris Eaton	3:37
4.	"Long Hot Summer"	Urban, Richard Marx	4:32
5.	"Without You"	Joe West, Dave Pahanish	3:54
6.	"Georgia Woods"	Urban, Darrell Brown	5:17
7.	"Right On Back to You"	Urban, Brown	4:47
8.	"Shut Out the Lights"	Urban, Monty Powell	4:16
Total length:			33:38

Target deluxe edition bonus tracks[21]

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
9.	"Big Promises"	Urban, Dan Wilson	3:47
10.	"The Luxury of Knowing"	Lori McKenna	4:14
11.	"Winning"	Russell Glyn Ballard	3:38
12.	"Once in a Lifetime" (Live)	Urban, John Shanks	7:09
13.	"You Look Good in My Shirt" (Live)	Mark Nesler, Tom Shapiro, Tony Martin	5:18
14.	"Better Life" (Live)	Urban, Marx	5:42
15.	"Everybody" (Live)	Urban, Marx	6:55
Total length:			78:21

Personnel

Technical Justin Niebank – engineer, mixing Drew Bollman – engineer, mixing assistant David Bryant – assistant engineer Joanna Carter – art direction Mark Dobson – engineer Mike "Frog" Griffith – production coordination Mark Hagen – engineer Michelle Hall – art producer Dann Huff – producer Jean-Philippe Piter – photography Matt Rausch – assistant engineer Jason Spence – assistant engineer Keith Urban – producer Max Vadukul – photography Hank Williams – mastering

Musicians Keith Urban – lead vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, banjo, bouzouki, whistle, EBow Sarah Buxton – background vocals (on "You Gonna Fly") Eric Darken – percussion Dan Dugmore – steel guitar Stuart Duncan – fiddle Karen Fairchild – background vocals (on "You Gonna Fly") Dann Huff – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, banjo, EBow, mandocello, mandolin David Huff – percussion, programming Charlie Judge – keyboards, string arrangements, strings Chris McHugh – drums, percussion Gordon Mote – piano Kimberly Schlapman – background vocals (on "You Gonna Fly") Jimmie Lee Sloas – bass guitar Russell Terrell – background vocals Ilya Toshinsky – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, banjo, resonator guitar, mandolin

Charts and certifications

Album Chart (2010) Peak Position Australian Albums Chart[22] 11 Australian Country Albums Chart[23] 2 Canadian Albums Chart 8 UK Country Albums Chart[24] 13 US Billboard 200 7 US Billboard Top Country Albums 2

Certifications Region Certification Certified units/sales Australia (ARIA)[25] Platinum 70,000^^ Canada (Music Canada)[26] Gold 40,000^^ United States (RIAA)[10] Platinum 1,000,000 / 743,000[9] ^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Singles

Year	Single	Peak chart positions
		US Country	US	CAN	AUS
2010	"Put You in a Song"[27]	2	53	49	—
2011	"Without You"[28]	1	52	69	39
	"Long Hot Summer"	1	45	35	82
	"You Gonna Fly"	1	54	66	—
"—" denotes releases that did not chart

References

1. "Get Closer – Keith Urban". Allmusic. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
2. Dolan, Jon (16 November 2010), "Get Closer by Keith Urban", Rolling Stone, 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. 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. "I.B. bad previews the big race". Hits Daily Double. Retrieved 4 August 2013.
10. "American album certifications – Keith Urban – Get Closer". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 
11. Rodman, Sarah (15 November 2010). "Keith Urban, 'Get Closer' – The Boston Globe". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
12. 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. 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. 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. Keefe, Jonathan (14 November 2010). "Keith Urban: Get Closer | Music Review". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
18. Friskics-Warren, Bill (16 November 2010). "Click Track – Album review: Keith Urban, "Get Closer"". The Washington Post. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
19. "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. "Keith Urban – Get Closer – World Charts". Ultratop 50. Hung Medien. Retrieved 12 December 2010.
23. ariacharts.co.au Archived 13 May 2012 at WebCite accessed on 6 January 2012
24. "2011 Top 40 Country Artist Albums Archive". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
25. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2012 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 10 August 2020.
26. "Canadian album certifications – Keith Urban – Get Closer". Music Canada.
27. "Put You in a Song – Keith Urban". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved 16 November 2010.
28. "Without You – Keith Urban". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved 12 March 2011.