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Almost eight years ago, long before it became commonplace for artists to join forces across genres, Tim McGraw orchestrated a remarkable collaboration with Taylor Swift and Keith Urban for the track “Highway Don’t Care,” featured on his album “Two Lanes of Freedom.”
McGraw’s vision for the song was clear from the outset. “At first, I just wanted to go in and make a great record,” he explains in a recent video series discussing his compilation album. “Certainly, I had Taylor in mind all along for doing the female part on that. I just thought she’d be perfect.” However, McGraw approached the project with no expectations, mindful of the importance of crafting a stellar track before inviting other artists to participate.
Swift’s enthusiastic agreement to join the project paved the way for McGraw’s next target: Keith Urban. A longtime admirer of Urban’s musical prowess and character, McGraw was eager to collaborate with him. “Once Taylor decided she was gonna do it, then I really wanted Keith,” he recalls. “Because I’m a huge fan of his playing, I’m a fan of his singing and just of the person he is as well.”
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With Urban on board, the stage was set for a musical exchange that would elevate “Highway Don’t Care” to new heights. McGraw recounts the moment when Urban enthusiastically embraced the opportunity to contribute to the track. “I sent it over to Keith,” he remembers, “and right away he sent it back and was very happy to play on it.”
“With Taylor on there, which I think is one of her best vocal performances ever and Keith just blazing the guitar like he did, I think that took that record to a whole other level.” – Tim McGraw
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“It really made it an iconic record,” McGraw reflects. “With Taylor on there, which I think is one of her best vocal performances ever and Keith just blazing the guitar like he did, I think that took that record to a whole other level.”
