Keith Urban had one wildly unusual “compliment” for his fellow country star Miley Cyrus.
The four-time Grammy winner, 56, shared on a recent episode of Australia’s Fitzy and Wippa with Kate Ritchie podcast that he was such a huge fan of Cyrus’ gravelly singing voice that he couldn’t help but make one head-turning comparison.
Miley Cyrus performs onstage during the 66th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 04, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. Cyrus made headlines in September 2024 after Keith Urban compared her singing voice to an “ashtray.”
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
“I love that voice, man, that voice. She sounds like an ashtray,” Urban gushed. “And I mean that as a compliment.”
Cyrus’ “ashtray” voice has, in fact, made her entire career. The “7 Things” singer, 31, started out as Hannah Montana in her Disney Channel days before diving headfirst into her wild Bangerz era — which she followed up with a more mellow country vibe before turning back to pop with 2023’s “Flowers.” Sprinkle in undeniably catchy hits like “Party in the U.S.A.,” “See You Again” and “7 Things” — her rocker era — and it’s easy to see that Cyrus’ career spans multiple genres of music.
Her raspy, deep-throated voice is, of course, a huge part of that — no matter what critics say.
The “Malibu” singer herself has hit back at those who critique her unique voice, recalling the hate she’s received for her low register.
“My whole life, whether in vocal training or just continuing to hone my craft, it’s always been about, ‘Why do you sound like a man? Where’s your f***ng falsetto, b****?'” Cyrus shared in a 2021 talk with Interview Magazine.
No matter what people say, the two-time Grammy winner is proud of her voice.
“My voice is how I represent myself,” she told Interview. “It’s how I express myself.”
