Whoever’s idea it was to have Chris Stapleton cover Keith Urban’s “Blue Ain’t Your Color” deserves all the thanks in the world.
On Thursday night, May 8, the Academy of Country Music Awards honored the Aussie country icon Keith Urban with a series of performances of some of his greatest hits sung by other artists. He was the 2025 winner of the prestigious “Triple Crown” award, which represents his three wins across the New Male Vocalist, Top Male Vocalist, and Entertainer of the Year throughout his career.
Along with Megan Moroney, who sang “Stupid Boy” and Brothers Osborne, who performed “Where the Blacktop Ends”, Chris Stapleton contributed to this melody with a sensational rendition of Urban’s 2016 single.
It’s undeniable that Chris Stapleton can do no wrong, and his voice lends itself well to basically everything, but this song truly sounds like it was made for him. So much so, that I’m petitioning for a full cover to be released on streaming services ASAP.
His deep voice hit every note perfectly and gave a bluesy edge to the dramatic Urban hit. It makes perfect sense that this tune is right up Stapleton’s alley because it has a very “Tennessee Whiskey” esque sound.
It’s evident that Urban and his wife, Nicole Kidman, were also fans of the stellar performance as the cameras caught them slow dancing in the audience. At the end of all three artists’ renditions, Keith Urban graciously thanked Moroney, Stapleton, and Brothers Osborne.
Earlier in the night, Stapleton performed one of his own heart-string tuggers, “It Takes A Woman.” Released in 2023, he actually wrote the song about his wife, Morgane, so it was very fitting that she joined him on stage to perform. On top of being the ideal image of couple goals, the two sure know how to steal the show with captivating vocals.
Stapleton was also fittingly named Male Artist of the Year for the second year in a row. It’s no surprise, given his track record of award show notoriety, that he was also nominated for the Entertainer, Music Event, Single, and Video of the Year categories.
Watch the Full Performance Here: