Keith Urban is diving into the calm, serene waters of yacht rock with his next project. No need to double take. You read that right. The prolific guitarist and country music artist is evidently changing things up after his divorce from actress Nicole Kidman. He’s taking his talents to the underrated, under-appreciated genre of yacht rock. If you’ve never heard of the style of music before, it originated and became popular in the late 1970s and early 1980s… and dads everywhere absolutely love it. There wasn’t really a legitimate name for the sub-genre of rock until someone associated it with “the type of music you listen to while boating.” Considering one of the biggest hits of yacht rock is “Sailing” by Christopher Cross, that makes sense. And if you’ve never listened to yacht rock while on a boat… you should try it. Admittedly, there’s something spiritual about yacht rocking while the yacht (or in my case, a pontoon boat) is rocking in the water. Keith Urban has evidently felt that connection, and he’s ready to share with the world that he’s going all in on yacht rock with his next album. While speaking at the Country Radio Seminar in Nashville, the 58-year-old artist shocked a lot of people – and made them think he was joking – when he broke the news that he’s putting out an album of yacht rock covers: “It’s the first time I’ve done an album of covers. There is one original on the record. It’s a thematic record… yacht rock songs. You think I’m kidding? I’m not kidding.” Just to make sure people knew he wasn’t joking, Urban immediately transitioned into a yacht rock classic from 1977. Those in attendance were serenaded by Keith Urban with a piece of a new original, as well as two cover snippets of Stephen Bishop’s “On and On,” which peaked as high as 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 at its height, and Robbie Dupree’s top 10 hit, “Steal Away.” I’ve got to say… I wasn’t so sure about Keith Urban doing yacht rock, but after watching this video, I believe: @whiskeyriff @Keith Urban #whiskeyriff ♬ original sound – Whiskey Riff It’ll certainly be interesting to see Keith Urban tackle the smooth, winding, jazz-influenced genre. And hey, I’ll give the “Blue Ain’t Your Color” singer some credit. While all the other pop and hip-hop artists out there are dipping their toes in country music, he’s leaving the country music genre – albeit just for a small, side project – and choosing to test out the yacht rock waters. As I’ve already touched on before, the waters of yacht rock are always calm, soulful, and full of relaxation. That might be exactly what the doctor ordered for Keith Urban right about now. Urban gets divorced and then immediately shows an increased, public interest in yacht rock? That checks out. And good on him for going back to the well and choosing this iconic tune from Stephen Bishop to introduce his yacht rock era to the world. “On And On” by Stephen Bishop The post Keith Urban Announces His First Ever Cover Album… Of Yacht Rock Songs: “You Think I’m Kidding? I’m Not Kidding” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.