Keith Urban has expressed his admiration for Taylor Swift, praising her ability to navigate the challenges of a long career under intense scrutiny.
In an interview with The Times, Urban said, "It's been remarkable watching Taylor grow in public because it's pretty brutal. It feels like now people have long forgotten all of the s--- she had to go through."
He referenced Swift's 2010 Grammys performance and critics' negative comments, "Just trial by fire over and over — and always getting stronger for it."
Urban has a longstanding relationship with Swift, dating back to her opening for him on tour in 2009, "When she opened for us, I watched her perform and I'm, like, 'Oh, this girl has her sights way past this thing."
The pair have collaborated on several performances, including the 2014 Grammy Awards and Swift's 1989 tour in 2015.
Urban also contributed to Swift's re-release of Fearless in 2021, re-recording tracks "That's When (Taylor's Version)" and "We Were Happy."
In a previous interview with People magazine, Urban praised Swift's songwriting, "I mean, God, Taylor's songwriting, it's so extraordinary. There's really no adjectives for it... She's such a great, great writer."
He added, "[Swift] doesn't sound like anyone. I like singers that you know their voice immediately, and there's a lot of other singers that sound like them, but they don't sound like anyone."