Maps of Music

Ripcord (2016)

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

Often described as Urban's most experimental album, Ripcord was not certified Platinum by the RIAA until April 2017, nearly a year after release.

Key places

Recorded at EastWest Studios (2016)

Recording site EastWest Studios — The album's recording credits list EastWest Studios in Los Angeles. The point marks the studio building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recorded in London (2016)

Recording site Wild Bunch Studios (London) — The album's recording credits also list Kensaltown Recording Studios in London. Only the city centre is marked, not the exact building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recorded at SmithLee Productions (2016)

Recording site SmithLee Productions — The album's recording credits list SmithLee Productions as a recording location. The point marks the studio building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Ripcord: ninth studio album by Australian country singer Keith Urban
• Released 6 May 2016 via Hit Red and Capitol Records Nashville
• Like the previous album Fuse (2013), Urban worked with multiple producers
• Producers credited: Jeff Bhasker, busbee, Nathan Chapman, Dann Huff, Nitzan Kaikov, Tyler Johnson, Jonny Price, Nile Rodgers, Keith Urban and Greg Wells
• Features Nile Rodgers, Pitbull and Carrie Underwood
• Often called Urban's most experimental album to date

Background

• Urban told Rolling Stone that making the record involved a lot of searching and experimenting
• Working with many people left him with a lot of material
• "Sun Don't Let Me Down" features Pitbull, with Nile Rodgers on guitar
• Singles: "John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16", "Break on Me", "Wasted Time", "Blue Ain't Your Color" and "The Fighter"

Recording

• Mastering by Tom Coyne at Sterling Sound
• Recording credits list EastWest Studios in Los Angeles, Kensaltown Recording Studios in London and SmithLee Productions
• Engineers and mixers include Joe Baldridge, Serban Ghenea, Chris Lord-Alge, Manny Marroquin and Tony Maserati

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

• Critics gave generally positive reviews
• Metacritic average of 72 from 4 reviews, indicating generally favorable reviews
• ABC News' Allan Raible: not really a country record but more of an electric-pop influenced record, with a formula feel that is still enjoyably adventurous
• The Sydney Morning Herald: three stars, praising Urban's update of the slick contemporary American country sound with the warm washes and bright punctuation of pop
• Sounds Like Nashville: a remarkably diverse album that pushes boundaries and furthers Urban's evolution as an artist
• The News-Sentinel's Michael McCall: "The Fighter" described as a modern update of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, while the Pitbull and Nile Rodgers track is more an exercise than a celebration

Records

• Debuted at number one in Australia and stayed there for a second week, his first album to spend more than one week at the top of that chart
• Australia: Platinum for shipments of over 70,000 units
• New Zealand debut at number 21
• Canada debut at number 3, Gold for shipments of over 40,000 units
• US Top Country Albums: debut at number one, Urban's fifth number one on that chart, and number one again in its second week
• Billboard 200 debut at number 4 with over 106,000 album-equivalent units (93,000 pure sales)
• RIAA certified Platinum on 7 April 2017; over 740,700 copies sold in the US as of June 2018
• Nominated for Best Country Album at the 59th Grammy Awards; Album of the Year nominations at the 50th CMA Awards and 52nd ACM Awards

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• "The Fighter", the duet with Carrie Underwood, was the fifth single, released 6 February 2017; it peaked at number two on Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay
• Urban wrote "The Fighter" with his producer busbee while the two were in London
• "Blue Ain't Your Color" was released 30 July 2016 via Snapchat as the fourth single
• Urban played a free lunchtime concert in front of the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on 9 May 2016, three days after release
• "Wasted Time" was performed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on 6 May and on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on 12 May 2016

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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