Keith Urban on lessons he learned from compromising his music for Hollywood

Keith Urban has recently opened up about the lessons he learned from compromising his song for a Hollywood movie.

During an appearance on SiriusXM's Highway Mornings show to promote his new music, Urban talked about his earlier hit, Somebody Like You, in a 2003 movie, How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days.

“That's a great example of learning early on the price of — I wouldn't say selling out — but pretty darn close to it,” said the musician.

Urban explained, “Cause we get asked to put that song in the movie, and then there was like, ‘By the way, you sing it kind of country-ish.’”

“And I'm like, ‘I just sing it the way I sing.’ And they're like, ‘Yeah, we just wonder if you could re-do the vocal,’” stated the singer.

Urban remarked, “I was like, ‘Uh, okay. Well, it’s a big film. Okay, let's do that.’”

Recalling going to a recording studio, Urban mentioned, “There's all these executives from the film, talking in my headphones while I'm at the microphone doing this vocal, almost coaching me of how to sing this song.”

“And I'm like, ‘Oh, I’ve made a deal with the devil here! There's no getting out of this,’” explained the musician.

Urban continued copying the American singer, saying, “And they're like, ‘Kind of sing it more Bob Seger. Put a little more, little more growl in the voice if you could.’ And I'm just like, ‘Oh, what am I doing?’”

“We got through it, and I think the end result was not that great,” confessed the singer.

Urban added, “I was like, ‘Rule No. 1: Stay true to who you are.’”