Forget fishing rigs and pontoons—Nashville's leading men are now trading country radio for the easy-listening waters of yacht rock.
Keith Urban just dropped his 13th album, Flow State, a collection of smooth covers including "Steal Away," "Summer Breeze," and "Just the Two of Us" featuring John Mayer, Little Big Town, and Michael McDonald. The album was co-produced by Dann Huff, a session musician who played on yacht-rock records in the Eighties.
Urban's shift isn't solo. Morgan Wallen's "7 Summers" brought West Coast grooves to country radio, and Charles Kelley from Lady A is now hosting a yacht-rock show on SiriusXM called Y'All Aboard.
"Honestly, I think people would be surprised how many country artists are obsessed with yacht rock," Kelley told Rolling Stone. "There's just something comforting about that music."
Yacht rock and country share the same DNA of heartbreak and loss, Kelley said. "The themes are a lot of love lost and how I done my woman wrong, which lines up pretty well with classic country," he explained. "Mostly, it's a lot of escapism. It's feel-good music, just good vibes and the kind of stuff you'd play on the beach."
The show has already featured Russell Dickerson, Dustin Lynch, and Trisha Yearwood. Kelley's own new single with Maren Morris, a reworking of "Can't Be Alone Tonight," leans into crisp, contemporary production with cascading keys.
Urban kicked off the trend as stress relief during "divisive times." What began as a personal refuge has become a broader movement. Country artists may not discuss it publicly, but the poolside-ready sounds are now standard.
