"Polaroid"
Single by Keith Urban
from the album The Speed of Now Part 1
Released24 April 2020 (2020-04-24)
Genre
Length2:31
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Keith Urban singles chronology
"Be a Light"
(2020) 		"Polaroid"
(2020) 		"Superman"
(2020)
Music video
"Polaroid" on YouTube

"Polaroid" is a song recorded by Australian country artist Keith Urban. The track was written by Griffen Palmer, Geoff Warburton, Steph Jones, Sam Fischer, and Mark Trussell, while Urban produced the track with Joey Moi.[1][2] It was the third single released in Australia off Urban's eleventh studio album The Speed of Now Part 1,[3] and the first single off the album released in the United Kingdom.[4]

Background and release

Although Urban did not write the song himself, he felt connected to the concept of it after co-producer Joey Moi sent him the song to listen to it.[5] He stated that when he moved to Nashville, Tennessee, he and his band lived in a "rundown" house, and someone had given them a Polaroid camera which they used to take many pictures that were hung up on their wall. Urban said "the idea that this couple in this photograph who were at a party that they didn't really want to be at ... And then, all these years later, they're still together," was a "great lyric".[6]

Urban released a snippet of "Polaroid" on social media on the morning of Thursday, 23 April 2020, before officially releasing the full track at midnight the next day.[6]

Critical reception

Lars Brandle of Billboard described the song as a "rollicking guitar-driven pop number".[7] Joseph Hudak of Rolling Stone called the track a "breezy, evocative jam," also adding that it is one Urban's "more electronic-focused musical adventures".[2]

Music video

The official music video for "Polaroid" premiered on 24 April 2020, and was directed by Dano Cerny.[5] The video was filmed largely using motion control technology,[8] and is centred around a pool party that includes couples, a barbecue, and Urban himself with a guitar.[2] He remarked that he did not initially realize most of the couples in the video were real-life couples, and joked that he thought to himself "Man, they're really committed to this role".[9]

Commercial performance

"Polaroid" peaked at number 2 on the TMN Country Hot 50 in Australia.[10] It also reached a peak of number 33 on the Hot Canadian Digital Songs chart.[11]

Track listings

Digital download – single[12]

  1. "Polaroid" – 2:30
  2. "God Whispered Your Name" – 3:52

Credits

Adapted from The Speed of Now Part 1 liner notes.[13]

Charts

Chart (2020) Peak
position
Australia Country Hot 50 (TMN)[10] 2
Canada Digital Songs (Billboard)[11] 33

References

  1. ^ "Keith Urban – Polaroid". New Country Songs. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Hudak, Joseph (24 April 2020). "Keith Urban Hosts a Freeze-Frame Pool Party in 'Polaroid' Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  3. ^ Wilson, Zanda (9 May 2020). "Doja Cat scores her first #1 Aussie radio hit with 'Say So'". The Music Network. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  4. ^ O'Connor, Rory (24 April 2020). "Keith Urban releases first single 'Polaroid' from new 2020 album". Smooth Radio. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  5. ^ a b Jones, Marcus (24 April 2020). "Keith Urban breaks down his trippy new video for 'Polaroid'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  6. ^ a b Hillary Pierce (24 April 2020). "Keith Urban's 'Polaroid' Looks Back at Fond Memories [Listen]". Taste of Country. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  7. ^ Lars Brandle (24 April 2020). "Keith Urban Has a Photographic Memory In 'Polaroid': Stream It Now". Billboard. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  8. ^ Brooks, Nancy (28 April 2020). "Keith Urban's 'Polaroid' Video". 99.5 QYK. Beasley Media Group. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  9. ^ Bonaguro, Alison (24 April 2020). "Keith Urban Shares the "Crazy Stuff" That Developed When He Got a Polaroid". CMT. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  10. ^ a b "Country Hot 50: Issue 1295". The Music Network. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  11. ^ a b "Keith Urban Chart History (Hot Canadian Digital Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  12. ^ "Polaroid – Keith Urban". AllMusic. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  13. ^ The Speed of Now Part 1 (CD booklet). Keith Urban. Capitol Records Nashville/Hit Red Records. 2020. B003245602.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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