Capitol Records NashvilleKeith Urban delivers the third in a series of monthly releases with “Superman,” a track that yearns for better times but never feels sorry for itself. Despite the fact that the song is told from a post-breakup point of view, the lyrical focus is on how euphoric it felt to be in that relationship.
That nostalgia, and the song’s message of dreaming of easier times, is a timely one for the COVID-19 era, Keith tells Variety.
“Well, it’s interesting, because the guy [is recalling] a different time, when it was better,” he reflects. “…So I think that’s a feeling a lot of people can relate to, pretty clearly. And then suddenly remembering this time that was way more exciting, dangerous, adventurous, exhilarating — and this particular girl in this time where this guy felt like Superman when he was with her.”
Even amid social distancing restrictions, Keith and his team managed to put together a dazzling music video that matches the high energy of the song. The clip gallops through a series of different animations, beginning with a flip-book style to illustrate the “black and white” heartache that’s been the norm since the relationship has ended.
But in the chorus, that animation makes a Wizard of Oz-style transformation into technicolor, with colorful backgrounds like an animated keyboard, a starry night and a lit-up city skyline.
“Superman” is the fourth new track Keith has dropped from his upcoming studio album, The Speed of Now Part 1. The full project is due out on September 18.
By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
