Keith Urban’s New Song ‘Wild Hearts’ is for “Drifters” and “Dreamers”

Keith Urban’s new song “Wild Hearts” is out now, August 19th, on all streaming platforms. Take a look below as we dig a little deeper into the new track.

We haven’t heard much new music from the Keith Urban since the first release of his two-part project, The Speed of Now Part 1 back in September of 2020. His current single off the project, “One Too Many”, with P!nk is still climbing the charts, becoming Urban’s 43rd Top 10 in the US and reaching #1 in Canada and Australia. Separate from this project, Urban also appeared on two songs on Taylor Swift’s album Fearless (Taylor’s Version). 

Well, new music is finally here! (and hopefully the first of many leading into an inevitable Part 2 ???) “Wild Hearts” is Urban’s latest release and it is yet another song from the artist with a sound like no other and is a testament to the evolution of not just Urban’s music but of the collective genre. He is constantly elevating himself, which in turn helps to raise the bar for the rest of the genre. 

When it comes to songwriting, Urban doesn’t often dive deep into details about his own life. While he pulls from his own experiences, of course, he tends to write more generally, perhaps to have a broader reach when it comes to relatability – with some exceptions. Although the message Urban shared in “Wild Hearts” can in fact apply to so many, the track pulls from Urban’s own journey specifically in ways he has seldom done before. 

“Saw the man in black, spotlight in the air, heard a thousand screams, saw my dad’s stare // Feel like I’ve been running since the day that I was born, Eagle on my back, Phoenix on my arm”

From the start, these lyrics speak to what inspired Urban from the time he was young, a Johnny Cash concert with his Dad. He also adds the tattoo that can be seen every time he plays the guitar, a phoenix on his arm. A symbol of rebirth and rising from the ashes and something that he must deeply believe in and live by given not only the tattoo and its mention here, but the fact that it is also Urban’s noticeable logo. As well as the eagle tattoo on his back, a symbol of freedom, clearly, two aspects that Urban has lived by on his journey. 

“Wild Hearts”, co-written by Urban, Brad Tursi, Jennifer Wayne, and Eric Paslay, goes on to be an incredibly inspiring message for anyone that may have doubts about chasing a dream, from a guy who has done it himself. 

After the chorus and another one-of-a-kind Urban bridge, right in the middle of the song, Urban brings down the music and switches the vocal to make it seem as though he is speaking directly to the listener, a message he really wants them to hear. Quite literally saying “Now Listen”… 

“Has anyone ever told you you’ll never amount to anything? // You’re just wasting your time chasin’ the tail of a dragon kind of a dream // But I’m here to tell you anything can happen in this life // If you got the heart and the passion and a God lit fire inside”

“Wild Hearts” dares its listeners to walk away without being inspired.

Urban’s 2020 US tour was put on hold, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but is expected to resume in 2022. He returns to the stage with a handful of US shows late this summer, followed by his Caesars Palace run in the Fall, and in December, he will kick off his ‘Speed of Now World Tour’ in Australia. Currently, the international superstar is staying busy as a judge on The Voice (AU).