Keith Urban is gearing up to drop his new album, and the country crooner can’t wait for fans to finally hear a special duet he’s been waiting to release for over a year.
On Sunday, Urban attended the 2024 CMT Music Awards at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, where he spoke with ET’s Cassie DiLaura about his new music.
“So, ‘Straight Line,’ [was the] first single, ‘Messed Up as Me,’ just came out in February, and we have another single coming out next month — that’s a duet,” Urban shared. “So excited to get that out.”
Addressing the fan speculation that the duet may be with fellow country singer Lainey Wilson, Urban played coy, telling ET, “You just never know!”
“We recorded it last summer, and I’ve been having to sit on this thing since then, so I’m ready for it to come out,” Urban said. “Then the album later this year.”
Urban also admitted that “it’s frustrating” having to keep quiet about the projects he’s working on.
However, Urban was excited to perform “Straight Line” at Sunday’s show, and he teased what fans could expect from his CMT Music Awards performance.
“[It’s going to be a] big loud rowdy ‘Straight Line,'” Urban promised. “And we’ve never played it at any show before, so I’m looking forward to it!”
When it finally came time for Urban to take the stage, the singer delivered a powerhouse debut performance of “Straight Line” that brought the house down.
Urban spoke with ET again backstage after the show and expressed his excitement at how well-received the song was, given that it was his first time performing it live.
“The crowd’s great! I mean, they don’t know that song yet, so to react that way was amazing,” Urban marveled.
He also teased his forthcoming duet and gave one tiny clue: his mystery collaborator was “very much in the building.” Given the sheer number of country singers at the event, that didn’t exactly narrow things down.
Urban has won a total of nine CMT Music Awards throughout his lengthy career.
In addition to Urban, other top performers at this year’s show include Jason Aldean, Little Big Town, Sugarland, Cody Johnson, Dasha, and more. Kelsea Ballerini is hosting this year’s show and will also perform.
Hosted by Kelsea Ballerini, the 2024 CMT Music Awards takes place at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, on Sunday, April 7, at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The show will air on CBS and will also be available to stream live and on demand via Paramount+.
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