On the morning of the CMAs, Keith Urban released a powerful new song called "Female." The song talks about all of the biases that women face, and was partly inspired by the ongoing Harvey Weinstein scandal, and sexual assault and rape victims who continue to come forward.
Later in the night Keith performed the song live for the first time during the CMA Awards. It was just the country star and his guitar on stage at Nashville's Bridgestone Arena as the lyrics emerged on the screen behind him, emphasizing the meaning behind the song.
Keith recently told Billboard of what the new song means to him:
"As a husband and a father of two young girls, it affects me in a lot of ways. And as a son -- my mother is alive. It just speaks to all of the females in my life, particularly. For a guy who grew up with no sisters in a house of boys, it’s incredible how now I’m surrounded by girls. But not only in my house; I employ a huge amount of women in my team. The song just hit me for so many reasons."
"Female" was written by Ross Copperman, Nicolle Galyon, and Shane McAnally at the very beginning of the Weinstein scandal. Keith's wife Nicole Kidman has appeared in several of the producer's films, and has been vocal about her support for all of the victims coming forward. In a statement to PEOPLE, she said, "As I’ve stated before publicly, I support and applaud all women and these women who speak out against any abuse and misuse of power — be it domestic violence or sexual harassment in the workforce. We need to eradicate this behavior."
Photos: Getty Images