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Keith Urban teamed up with “Country’s Cool Again” hitmaker Lainey Wilson to deliver closing time anthem “Go Home W U,” though he shared that the song wasn't supposed to be a duet when he originally wrote it. The song arrived on Friday (May 3), and Urban revealed plans to celebrate with a pop-up show in Dallas, Texas.
Urban recently revealed a sneak peek of the collaboration on Instagram, following some subtle hints from the duo. Some fans picked up on the teasers, including in a video that showed Urban driving the reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year to the airport ahead of her performances in Australia. Urban, an Australian singer-songwriter and musician, said in that clip, “I wish I could go home with you,” and added, “that’s a good song title.” Wilson agreed, “I like that.” The pair proceeded to load Wilson’s luggage into the vehicle and head to the airport, with Urban sharing tips with Wilson as she headed to Australia for the first time.
“Go Home W U” marks Urban’s third song to release from his next studio album, due this fall, following “Messed Up As Me” and “Straight Line.” Urban said, per his record label, that the song was “not meant to be a duet,” but turned into one when Wilson agreed to join him. Earlier this week, Urban shared a screenshot of the text messages he exchanged with Wilson that “started it all.” He pitched the “chill bar singalong vibe,” and the Bell Bottom Country artist replied that she’d “love to hear it,” and “appreciate you thinking of me, man.”
“I wrote ‘GO HOME W U’ in 2020 with BRELAND, Sam (Sumser) and Sean (Small),” Urban said via his record label. “We had a blast writing it. It started out as a late-night drum loop, I grabbed a bass guitar and started playing a simple recurring bass line. Before we knew it, we were writing a chorus that could be sung by any drunk person in any bar anywhere in the world. …A friend of mine suggested the idea of making the song a duet and I immediately thought of Lainey. Besides the fact that I love her voice, she’s got the swagger and attitude that fit so well with the song.”
Wilson added in a statement that Urban “has been someone in the industry I’ve taken notes from for a while now. From watching him at CMA Fest every year growing up to hearing the way he treats people up and down music row, he has taught me a lot. He’s a genuine supporter of mine and I am honored I get to continue to learn from one of the best. Getting to do a song with Keith is a notch on my belt I am very proud of.”
Urban was recently confirmed as the latest artist to join the lineup of the 2024 iHeartCountry Festival Presented by Capital One, which returns on May 4 to Moody Center in Austin, Texas. other artists taking the stage include Jason Aldean, Jelly Roll, Old Dominion, Lady A, Riley Green, Ashley McBryde, Brothers Osborne, and Walker Hayes. It’s all hosted again by iHeartRadio’s Bobby Bones. For the first time, Hulu will be the Official Streaming Destination of the 2024 iHeartCountry Festival. Fans across the country can also tune in, as iHeartRadio Country music stations across the country will broadcast the event in their local markets, as well as on the free iHeartRadio app and iHeartRadio.com, on Saturday, May 4th at 8pm ET/5pm PT (7pm CT). Tickets are available to the general public now. For more information visit iHeartRadio.com/countryfestival.
Listen to Urban’s new duet with Wilson here: