Keith Urban Previews New Album For Media

Keith Urban previewed his new album, “Get Closer,” at a party for media and radio at Nashville’s Hard Rock Café on Monday. He took the stage with two of his band members and producer Dann Huff to perform two songs from the upcoming CD, first single “Put You In A Song” and “Without You,” both inspired by his wife, Nicole Kidman, who was also in attendance. Urban then surprised the crowd by performing a song from his days with The Ranch, “Walkin’ The Country,” and dedicated it to “the two radio people who played it.” He was kidding of course, but just barely. That song never got higher than No. 50 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart when it was released in 1997.

In other Urban news, while the Country Music Assn. usually likes to keep the opening number of the CMA Awards under wraps until show time, Urban tweeted the photo above from rehearsals on Monday that revealed some of what’s to come at tomorrow night’s show at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. The shot shows Urban, Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley practicing their opening number. Underwood and Paisley will host the show, which will be televised live on ABC.