Maps of Music

Fuse (2013)

Where the lyrics of Fuse take you, and where it was really made.

Fuse became Keith Urban's first album to produce four chart-topping singles, with four of its six singles reaching number one on the newly introduced US Country Airplay chart.

Key places

Recorded at The Village (2013)

Recording site Village Recorders — The Village is listed as one of the places where Fuse was recorded. The pin uses the database coordinates for this studio. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recorded at Blackbird Studio (2013)

Recording site Blackbird Studio — Blackbird Studio in Nashville is listed as one of the places where Fuse was recorded. The pin uses the database coordinates for this studio. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recorded at Can-Am Recorders (2013)

Recording site Can-Am Studios — Can-Am Recorders is listed as one of the places where Fuse was recorded. The pin uses the database coordinates for this studio. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Fuse: eighth studio album by Australian country music singer Keith Urban
• Released 10 September 2013 via Hit Red and Capitol Records Nashville
• Features Miranda Lambert and Eric Church as guests
• Spawned six singles; four topped the newly introduced US Billboard Country Airplay chart
• His first album to produce four chart-topping singles
• Debuted atop both the US Billboard 200 and Top Country Albums charts
• His fourth non-consecutive number one album on Top Country Albums

Background

• Urban said in a Rolling Stone interview that he wanted to see how far he could go before the music stopped sounding like him
• He said he was inspired by U2's album Achtung Baby
• Bono described Achtung Baby as the sound of U2 chopping down The Joshua Tree, which Urban said he thought was great
• 'Come Back to Me' was co-written by Brandy Clark and also appeared on her 2023 self-titled album

Recording

• Recording places listed: The Village, Blackbird Studio in Nashville, and Can-Am Recorders
• Mixing places listed: MixStar Studios and Electric Lady Studios in New York City

Cover

• Album cover revealed on 1 August 2013

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Keith Lionel Urban, born 26 October 1967 in Whangārei, New Zealand, moved to Caboolture, Queensland, Australia at age two.
• Took up the guitar at age six; influenced by country music from his parents and by guitarists Mark Knopfler and Lindsey Buckingham.
• Won the Star Maker talent quest at the Tamworth Country Music Festival in 1990, leading to a contract with EMI Music Australia.

Career

• Self-titled debut album released in Australia in 1991; moved to Nashville in 1992.
• Formed the band The Ranch in 1995; their self-titled album was released on Capitol Nashville in 1997.
• US solo debut in 1999 with a second self-titled album; "But for the Grace of God" became his first US country number one.
• Golden Road (2002) and Be Here (2004) followed; Be Here became his best-selling album, certified 4× Platinum.
• Won Grammy Awards for "You'll Think of Me" and "Stupid Boy".
• Has charted 37 singles on the US Hot Country Songs chart, 18 of them number one.
• Served as a judge on American Idol and a coach on The Voice Australia.
• Appointed Officer of the Order of Australia in 2020.

Members

• Solo artist; founded The Ranch as a backing band with drummer Peter Clarke and bassist Jerry Flowers.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Metacritic: Metascore of 74, based on four reviews
• Country Weekly, Bob Paxman: praised the blend of pop and country with R&B touches and New Age-y sounds, and the variety of sounds
• Rolling Stone, Will Hermes: said the record sounds unforced and fun
• AllMusic, Thom Jurek: said the album forms a mostly working whole while Urban keeps his identity as a contemporary country artist
• USA Today, Jerry Shirver: said deleting generic material would have made the gems pop more
• The Oakland Press, Gary Graff: said the songs are consistently strong, though the arrangements lean heavy on similar sounds
• Newsday, Glenn Gamboa: said the album is filled with pleasant surprises
• Edmonton Journal, Amanda Ash: called it a thrill, with sentimental ups and downs that may be hard on some listeners
• The New York Times, Jon Caramanica: wrote a mixed review
• HitFix, Melinda Newman: said most tunes stay close to what fans love, anchored by banjo or guitar and Urban's vocals
• Roughstock, Bobby Peacock: praised the variety of production and songwriting
• The Montreal Gazette, Bernard Perusse: called the album mind-numbingly predictable arena pop-rock

Records

• Debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 and Top Country Albums, with over 98,000 copies sold in the first week
• Debuted at number one in Canada and Australia; peaked within the Top 10 in the United Kingdom
• Over 478,000 copies sold in the US as of April 2016
• Certified Platinum by the RIAA on 14 April 2017 for one million combined units of sales, tracks and streams
• Second album of his to chart in New Zealand, after The Story So Far (2012)

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · pt.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Urban said he drew inspiration from U2's Achtung Baby, which Bono described as the sound of U2 chopping down The Joshua Tree.
• 'Come Back to Me' was co-written with Brandy Clark and also appeared on her 2023 self-titled album.
• 'Somewhere in My Car' reached number one on the Country Airplay chart late in 2014.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org

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