VOA常速英语:Keith Urban Reveals Newfound Peace on 'Defying Gravity'

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Ten years ago, New Zealand-born Country singer Keith Urban broke onto the American music scene. Keith reveals a newfound sense of peace and happiness in his life on his fifth studio album, Defying Gravity. 

"Sweet Thing" was the first hit off Keith Urban's new album Defying Gravity. The collection is his first to debut at Number One on the Billboard 200 chart. It also entered the Country Albums chart in the top spot. "Sweet Thing" became his 10th Number One Country single.

Keith faced some personal problems a few years ago that included a three-month stint in rehab. Much has changed since that time. Sobriety, his marriage to actress Nicole Kidman and the birth of their eight-month-old daughter, Sunday Rose, gave him a new perspective on life. Keith says that happiness can be heard on Defying Gravity.

"I'm very grateful for where I'm at in my life," he said. "We just went in to record this album and it turned out to be a very uplifting and a very joyous record."

Keith titled the album after a phrase in the one cover song he included on the collection, Radney Foster's "I'm In." He says the two words "really defined the joyous, optimistic and uplifting spirit that seemed to show itself while making the album." Keith wrote or co-wrote eight of the 11 songs on the album. One of the most personal tracks is "Thank You," which speaks directly to his wife.

"I think she was touched by it," he said. "She hears most of the songs as they're being written. It's sort of an intimate thing, you know. It's the dichotomy of having comfort in singing about certain things or saying things within a song, but then elaborating further seems difficult for me."

On May 7, Keith will kick off his "Escape Together World Tour" with U.S. concerts that run through September. Opening acts include Taylor Swift, Sugarland and Dierks Bentley.