Keith Urban and Richard Marx have a natural songwriting chemistry, so much so that Richard has included him on his upcoming album, Songwriter. 

The superstars’ relationship spans decades, beginning with the country singer’s 2005 single, “Better Life,” which reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. Additionally, “Everybody” became a top five hit in 2008, followed by one of Keith’s signature hits, “Long Hot Summer.” 

Keith says that when he and Richard met in the early 2000s, they quickly realized they had a seamless repertoire in the studio. 

“We clicked. Our pop sensibilities, I think melodic, hooky sensibilities blended really well,” Keith describes. “He was able to bring what he does and what I do, and we found a way to bring those worlds together into those songs.” 

Their relationship continues on Richard’s new album, Songwriter, which finds him collaborating with artists across genres. He and Keith co-wrote a track called “One Day Longer” under the country category, which Keith says is a long time coming. 

“It’s a song we had written many years ago. He just texted me last week and said he had included the song on a project he was doing, so that’s the first I’d heard about it,” Keith recalls. 

In addition to his work with Keith, Richard also found success in the country genre as a co-writer on Kenny Rogers‘ hits “Crazy” and “What About Me.” Another country act featured on Songwriter is Darius Rucker, who co-wrote “Breaking My Heart” with the songwriting legend. 

Songwriter is out on September 30. 

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