Ripcord (album)

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Ripcord
Studio album by
Keith Urban
Released6 May 2016 (2016-05-06)
Recorded
  • 2015–16
StudioHollywood
GenreCountry pop[1]
Length45:42
Label
Producer
Keith Urban chronology
Fuse
(2013) 		Ripcord
(2016) 		Graffiti U
(2018)
Singles from Ripcord
  1. "John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16"
    Released: 9 June 2015
  2. "Break on Me"
    Released: 23 October 2015
  3. "Wasted Time"
    Released: 4 April 2016
  4. "Blue Ain't Your Color"
    Released: 8 August 2016
  5. "The Fighter"
    Released: 6 February 2017

Ripcord is the ninth studio album by New Zealand-born Australian country music singer Keith Urban. It was released on 6 May 2016 via Hit Red and Capitol Records Nashville. The album produced the singles "John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16"; "Break on Me", "Wasted Time", "Blue Ain't Your Color", and "The Fighter". It also features musical artists Nile Rodgers, Pitbull, and Carrie Underwood. Just like his previous album Fuse (2013), Urban co-worked with multiple producers on this one.

The album was nominated for Best Country Album at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards. On 7 April 2017, the album was certified Platinum by the RIAA.[2]

Background[edit]

This album has been called Urban's most experimental album to date. Urban told Rolling Stone, "It was a lot of searching, a lot of experimenting, and when you get to work with as many people as I did, you end up with a lot of stuff."

One of the tracks, "Sun Don't Let Me Down" features Pitbull, and Nile Rodgers on guitar. The first verse in that song makes reference to Urban's wife Nicole Kidman's 1995 film To Die For.[3]

Promotion[edit]

Urban promoted the album by performing "Wasted Time" on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon on 6 May and on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on 12 May 2016.[4][5] Three days after the album was released Urban played a free lunchtime concert in front of the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on 9 May 2016. He performed tracks from Ripcord such as "Gone Tomorrow (Here Today)" and "Blue Ain't Your Color".[6] Urban embarked on a world tour in support of the album on the RipCORD World Tour, beginning on 2 June 2016.

Singles[edit]

The album's lead single "John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16" was released on June 9, 2015. It reached number forty on the US Hot 100 and number two on both the Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts.[7][8] The song was nominated for Best Country Solo Performance at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards but lost to Chris Stapleton's "Traveler".

The second single "Break on Me" was released on October 23, 2015. It reached number one on the Country Airplay chart and peaked at number six on Hot Country Songs, as well as number 54 on the Hot 100.

"Wasted Time" was released as the third single on April 4, 2016.[9] Like its predecessor, it also reached number one on Country Airplay chart. In addition, it peaked at number four on Hot Country Songs and at number 51 on the Hot 100.

"Blue Ain't Your Color" was released on July 30, 2016 as the album's fourth single by Urban via Snapchat. The song reached number one on both the Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts. Also, it reached number 24 on Hot 100.

"The Fighter", a duet with fellow country musician Carrie Underwood, was released as the album's fifth single on February 6, 2017.[10][11] Urban wrote the song with his producer busbee while the two were in London. It was inspired by conversations that Urban had with his wife Nicole Kidman early in their relationship.[12] It peaked at number two on both the Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay chart. It also reached number 38 on the Hot 100 chart.

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic72/100[13]
Review scores
SourceRating
ABC News[14]
AllMusic[15]
Entertainment WeeklyB−[16]
The Sydney Morning Herald[17]

Ripcord has received generally positive reviews from music critics. On Metacritic — which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 72 based on 4 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". ABC News' Allan Raible says that the album "is not really a country record" but rather "...more of an electric-pop influenced record," saying that it "[also] reeks of formula but at the same time, there's something enjoyably adventurous about this record."[14] At The Sydney Morning Herald, the album received three stars and reports that "Urban threads a tight needle, updating the slick contemporary American country sound he, long ago, mastered with the warm washes and bright punctuation of pop music," adding that "[i]t is, at first suggestion, an almost ludicrous concept, but it's testament to Urban's craftsmanship that the record is dexterous and pleasing."[17]

Sounds Like Nashville described the album as "a remarkably diverse album that pushes boundaries and furthers Urban’s evolution as an artist."[18]

For the collaborations on the album, The News-Sentinel's Michael McCall describes "The Fighter", the duet with Carrie Underwood, as "a modern update of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell", and views the collaboration with Pitbull and Nile Rodgers ("Sun Don't Let Me Down") as something "more like an exercise [rather] than a celebration".[19]

Accolades[edit]

The album received a nomination for Album of the Year both at the 50th Annual Country Music Association Awards and 52nd Academy of Country Music Awards. It was also nominated for Best Country Album at the 59th Grammy Awards.

Year Association Category Result
2016 CMA Awards[20] Album of the Year Nominated
2017 59th Annual Grammy Awards Best Country Album[citation needed] Nominated
ACM Awards Album of the Year Nominated
Billboard Music Awards Top Country Album Nominated

Commercial performance[edit]

Ripcord debuted at number one in Urban's home country of Australia,[21] and at number 21 in New Zealand.[22] It stayed at number one on the Australian albums chart for a second week, becoming his first album to spend more than one week at the top of that chart.[23] The album was certified Platinum in Australia for shipments of over 70,000 units.

The CD debuted at number 3 on the Canadian Albums chart[24] and was certified Gold for shipments of over 40,000 units.[25]

In the US, it debuted at number one on the Billboard's Top Country Albums chart, becoming Urban's fifth number one album on that chart. The disc also debuted at No. 4 on Billboard 200, earning over 106,000 album-equivalent units (93,000 pure sales) during its first week.[26] The album remained at number one on the Top Country Albums chart for a second week. On April 7, 2017, the album was certified Platinum by the RIAA.[27] As of June 2018, it has sold over 740,700 copies in the United States.[28]

Track listing[edit]

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Gone Tomorrow (Here Today)"
  • Urban
  • Bhasker
  • Tyler Johnson
2:48
2."John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16"
3:42
3."Wasted Time"
  • Urban
  • Wells
3:53
4."Habit of You"
3:44
5."Sun Don't Let Me Down" (featuring Nile Rodgers and Pitbull)
  • Urban
  • busbee
  • Rodgers
3:23
6."Gettin' in the Way"
  • Urban
  • Huff
3:48
7."Blue Ain't Your Color"
  • Urban
  • Huff
3:50
8."The Fighter" (featuring Carrie Underwood)
  • Urban
  • busbee
  • Urban
  • busbee
3:04
9."Break on Me"
3:29
10."Boy Gets a Truck"
  • Urban
  • Huff
3:29
11."Your Body"
  • Urban
  • busbee
  • Urban
  • busbee
2:45
12."That Could Still Be Us"
  • Urban
  • Price
3:57
13."Worry 'Bout Nothin'"
  • Urban
  • Huff
3:50
Total length:45:42

Personnel[edit]

Adapted from AllMusic[29] and Ripcord liner notes.[30]

"Gone Tomorrow (Here Today)"

"John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16"

  • Matt Chamberlain – drums, programming
  • Ross Copperman – gang vocals
  • Jerry Flowers – background vocals
  • Dann Huff – acoustic guitar, gang vocals
  • Charlie Judge – keyboards
  • Andy Snyder – gang vocals
  • Russell Terrell – background vocals
  • Keith Urban – bass guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, vocals
  • Jonathan Yudkin – violin

"Wasted Time"

  • James Abrahart – background vocals
  • Greg Wells – piano, keyboards, programming
  • Keith Urban – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, ganjo

"Habit of You"

  • Matt Chamberlain – drums
  • Charlie Judge – keyboards
  • K-KOV – programming, background vocals
  • Pino Palladino – bass guitar
  • Keith Urban – electric guitar, ganjo, Ebow

"Sun Don't Let Me Down"

  • Shanika Bereal – background vocals
  • busbee – bass guitar, programming, keyboards, background vocals
  • Eric Darken – percussion
  • Russell Graham – programming, keyboards
  • Samantha Nelson – background vocals
  • Pino Palladino – bass guitar
  • Tiffany Palmer – background vocals
  • Pitbull – rapping
  • Nile Rodgers – electric guitar, whistling
  • Aaron Sterling – drums
  • Keith Urban – electric guitar, ganjo, vocals

"Gettin' in the Way"

  • Nathan Barlowe – programming
  • Matt Chamberlain – programming
  • Dann Huff – electric guitar, keyboards
  • Charlie Judge – synthesizer
  • Pino Palladino – bass guitar
  • Russell Terrell – background vocals
  • Keith Urban – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, mandolin, vocals

"Blue Ain't Your Color"

  • Matt Chamberlain – drums, programming
  • Dann Huff – acoustic guitar
  • Charlie Judge – keyboards, synthesizer
  • Pino Palladino – bass guitar
  • Russell Terrell – background vocals
  • Keith Urban – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, nylon-string guitar, vocals

"The Fighter"

  • busbee – bass guitar, keyboards, electric guitar, programming
  • Carrie Underwood – vocals
  • Keith Urban – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, mandolin, ganjo, vocals

"Break on Me"

  • Matt Chamberlain – programming
  • Nathan Chapman – programming, keyboards, background vocals
  • Charlie Judge – keyboards
  • Russell Terrell – background vocals
  • Keith Urban – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, vocals
  • Tal Wilkenfeld – bass guitar

"Boy Gets a Truck"

  • Matt Chamberlain – drums, programming
  • Dann Huff – electric guitar, synthesizer
  • Charlie Judge – keyboards, synthesizer
  • Pino Palladino – bass guitar
  • Russell Terrell – background vocals
  • Keith Urban – electric guitar, vocals

"Your Body"

  • busbee – keyboards, bass guitar, programming, electric guitar, background vocals
  • Russell Terrell – background vocals
  • Keith Urban – ganjo, mandolin, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, vocals

"That Could Still Be Us"

  • Jonny Price – programming, synthesizers, keyboards

"Worry 'Bout Nothin'"

  • Nathan Barlowe – programming, synthesizer
  • Matt Chamberlain – drums, programming
  • Dann Huff – electric guitar
  • Charlie Judge – keyboards, synthesizer
  • Pino Palladino – bass guitar
  • Russell Terrell – background vocals
  • Keith Urban – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, ganjo, Ebow

Production

Charts[edit]

Certifications and sales[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[49] 2× Platinum 140,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[50] Platinum 80,000‡
United States (RIAA)[27] 2× Platinum 2,000,000‡ / 740,700[28]

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history[edit]

List of release dates, showing region, formats, label, editions and references
Region Date Format(s) Label Edition(s) Ref
Australia 6 May 2016
Universal Standard [51]
Canada [52]
Japan [53]
New Zealand [54]
United Kingdom Capitol Nashville [55]
United States
  • Hit Red
  • Capitol Nashville
 [56]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Ripcord - Keith Urban | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  2. ^ "Keith Urban's "Ripcord" Earns Platinum Certification in United States". 11 April 2017.
  3. ^ Eliscu, Jenny (28 March 2016). "Keith Urban on 'Ripcord' Album's Sonic Curveballs". Rolling Stone.
  4. ^ "Keith Urban on Twitter".
  5. ^ "Alec Baldwin, Keith Urban".
  6. ^ Parton, Chris (9 May 2016). "Keith Urban Thrills at Free 'Ripcord' Nashville Concert". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  7. ^ "Keith Urban: Hot Country Songs". Billboard.
  8. ^ "Keith Urban - Chart history - Billboard". Billboard.
  9. ^ Dukes, Billy. "Keith Urban Announces New Single, 'Wasted Time'". Taste of Country. Taste of Country Networks. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
  10. ^ Houghton, Cillea (6 February 2017). "Keith Urban Feat. Carrie Underwood, 'The Fighter' [Listen]". Taste of Country. Townsquare Media. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
  11. ^ "Billboard Country Update" (PDF). Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 6 February 2017. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
  12. ^ "How 'The Fighter' Was Inspired by the Early Days of Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman's Relationship". Sounds Like Nashville. 9 March 2017. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
  13. ^ "Ripcord by Keith Urban". Metacritic.
  14. ^ a b Raible, Allan (11 May 2016). "Cyndi Lauper, Keith Urban, James Blake and More Music Reviews". abcnews.com. ABC.
  15. ^ "Keith Urban - Ripcord". allmusic.com. All Media Network, LLC. 6 May 2016.
  16. ^ Farber, Jim (6 May 2016). "Keith Urban's Ripcord: EW Review". Entertainment Weekly. Entertainment Weekly, Inc.
  17. ^ a b "CD reviews: Keith Urban, Trembling Bells and Mette Henriette". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. 6 May 2016. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
  18. ^ "Album Review: Keith Urban's 'Ripcord'". Sounds Like Nashville. 4 May 2016. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
  19. ^ McCall, Michael (12 May 2016). "Music review: Keith Urban's 'Ripcord' is hodgepodge of musical directions". The News-Sentinel.
  20. ^ Watts, Cindy (31 August 2016). "Eric Church, Chris Stapleton, Maren Morris leaders in 2016 CMA Awards nominations". The Tennessean. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  21. ^ "ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart".
  22. ^ "The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Recorded Music New Zealand.
  23. ^ "Drake, Keith Urban Continue to Rule Australia's Charts". Billboard. 23 May 2016.
  24. ^ "Canadian Albums". Billboard. 28 May 2016.
  25. ^ "Gold/Platinum". Music Canada.
  26. ^ Asker, Jim (17 May 2016). "Keith Urban's No. 1 'Ripcord' Leads Parade of Top 10 Debuts on Country Albums Chart". Billboard.
  27. ^ a b "American album certifications – Keith Urban – Ripcord". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  28. ^ a b Bjorke, Matt (15 August 2018). "The Top 10 Country Albums: August 14, 2018". Roughstock. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  29. ^ "Keith Urban - Ripcord". All Music. All Media Network, LLC. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  30. ^ Ripcord (CD booklet). Keith Urban. Capitol Records Nashville/Hit Red Records. 2016. B0023591-02.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  31. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Keith Urban – Ripcord". Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  32. ^ "Ultratop.be – Keith Urban – Ripcord" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 May 2016.
  33. ^ "Keith Urban Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 May 2016.
  34. ^ "Charts.nz – Keith Urban – Ripcord". Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
  35. ^ "Official Country Artists Albums Chart Top 20". Official Charts Company.
  36. ^ "Keith Urban Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
  37. ^ "Keith Urban Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 May 2016.
  38. ^ "ARIA Top 100 Albums 2016". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
  39. ^ "Top Canadian Albums – Year-End 2016". Billboard. 2 January 2013. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
  40. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2016". Billboard. 2 January 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  41. ^ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 2016". Billboard. 2 January 2013. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  42. ^ "ARIA End of Year Albums 2017". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  43. ^ "Top Canadian Albums – Year-End 2017". Billboard. 2 January 2013. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  44. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2017". Billboard. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  45. ^ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 2017". Billboard. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  46. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2018". Billboard. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  47. ^ "Top Country Albums – Year-End 2018". Billboard. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  48. ^ a b "2019 ARIA End of Decade Albums Chart". January 2020. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  49. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2017 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  50. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Keith Urban – Ripcord". Music Canada. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  51. ^ "iTunes (Australia) - Music - Keith Urban - Ripcord". iTunes (AU). 6 May 2016. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  52. ^ "Amazon (Canada) - Ripcord- Keith Urban". Amazon (Canada). Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  53. ^ "iTunes (Japan) - Music - Keith Urban - Ripcord". iTunes (JP). 6 May 2016. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  54. ^ "iTunes (New Zealand) - Music - Keith Urban - Ripcord". iTunes (NZ). 6 May 2016. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  55. ^ "Amazon (U.K.) - Ripcord- Keith Urban". Amazon (U.K.). Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  56. ^ "iTunes (U.S.) - Music - Keith Urban - Ripcord". iTunes (U.S.). 6 May 2016. Retrieved 29 March 2016.
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