Keith Urban used to think a Vegas residency 'sounded like death.' Now he's loving it.

Three songs into his set, in between “Wild Hearts” and “Where the Blacktop Ends,” Keith Urban delivers a mandate to his audience: “Make sure you forget about your life outside of this arena.”

He’s standing on stage at the Bakkt Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino (formerly Zappos Theater) in Las Vegas, his forelock flopping with sweat and his guitar chattering as columns of lights dance behind him.

“Keith Urban: The Las Vegas Residency” is the country superstar’s third production in the city. He previously played two runs at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in 2019 and 2022 before moving across the Las Vegas Strip in March with a new show that returns Friday for eight dates through July and circles back for eight more concerts scattered from Nov. 1-18.

In addition to spectacular lighting and a sizzling band to help unwrap 24 of his most beloved songs (“Better Life,” “Long Hot Summer” and “You’ll Think of Me” among them), Urban’s latest includes a pair of riveting segments: A sweaty drum-off with official stickman Terence Clark and a display of Urban’s guitar pyrotechnics that somehow spotlights his eyebrow-raising excellence without ever feeling indulgent.

But that’s probably because the boyish-looking Urban, 55, isn’t the type to seek accolades. In conversation, he’s humble and cheerful, thoughtful and genuine.

Here’s what he had to say about his new stint in Las Vegas, sharing video of his wedding to Nicole Kidman during the show and his respect for Adele and Taylor Swift.

Question: There are a lot of things you could do in a Vegas show. Shania Twain brought a horse on stage. Carrie Underwood is doing acrobatics. But yours is focused on the music and the lighting. What kind of vibe were you going for when planning this residency?

Answer: Playing with the audience instead of playing at the audience is how I like to do what I do. I love the audience being engaged right out of the gate. In Vegas especially, you get a lot of different kinds of people, lots of fans and a handful of curious people who might know me from one song or from "(American) Idol” and they come to see what this guy is about. I’m not that kind of sit-there-and-watch-this performer. I love to be like, "We’re here, let’s go!" I’m on my feet, you’re on your feet.

How did you want to make it different from the Caesars show?

I brought in a different designer, Roy Bennett, who brings a lot of non-genre-specific (ideas), which is key to me. It lets the music become the centerpiece of everything. Roy designed this beautiful lighting concept predicated on a waterfall, with lots of curves.

A country titan: Garth Brooks kicks off new Las Vegas residency with Trisha Yearwood, cover songs

How do you feel about being stationed in one place for a set of shows? Is there a predictability factor to overcome?

I resisted a residency for literally years and years. I heard the word residency and it sounded like death to me. Like, this is going to be this weird thing, (Vegas) is not a real place and I’m repeating the exact same thing over and over. But the truth of it is, when you’re touring, that’s what you’re doing anyway. The only difference is here you’re not changing venues, but the audience is changing.

You’re doing eight shows into July and another eight in November. What do you do while you’re in town?

I stay about 20 minutes outside of Vegas. My mom and brother and niece are coming over to see some of the shows, so it will be fun to give them a sightseeing visit. I like the people (in Vegas). It feels like we’ve been playing there forever. Our first show was in the mid-to-late ‘90s with The Ranch – we opened for Hall & Oates – and right from the beginning when we did our own shows at a tiny bar in the Hilton, the locals would come see us and they still come out. I think it gives me more of a feeling of roots. I don’t feel like I’m on a cruise ship.

During your last residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace (in 2022), you stepped in for Adele after she unexpectedly postponed her residency. What was it like getting that call?

We had our show ready to go. It was such an easy thing, so when Caesars called a bit panicked, we were like, we’ve got our set built, so let’s go. I love Adele too. It was an honor to do anything for her.

The night I saw your show in March, you said you wanted the crowd to make sure they forgot about their life outside of that arena for a couple of hours.

I know this always sounds so hippy-dippy, but the truth is what I love most about my job is I get to find commonality between all of the people in the audience who run the gamut from political differences to sexual orientation. Everyone is in that audience. And my job is to bring us together for two hours. I know that sounds granola, but it’s really true. I’m seeing different people literally singing the same song and you only get that with music.

How did you get Nicole to agree to let you show those personal home videos of your wedding during “Without You”?

It’s very organic and not gratuitous. I wanted those moments to be a bit ethereal, and (the videos) are just toward the end of the song. I wanted a personal touch for that particular song and it works well in a more intimate setting.

Speaking of…I saw the photos of you and Nicole at the Met Gala in May, all dressed up in your tux. How comfortable are you in those surroundings given you’re such a rock ‘n’ roll guy?

As long as I‘m with my wife, I’m good. It’s fun. It’s a surreal, heightened environment and you can have fun with it. We always say it’s like Cinderella going to the ball. Let’s get dressed up and thank God we get invited to the ball!

Back to your show. I loved how you worked Ed Sheeran’s “Bad Habits” into “Kiss a Girl.” What is it about that song that made it a good companion?

Stream of consciousness, really, when a song idea just comes to you. It happened with “Days Go By” when we were in the U.K. and chugging in the groove and I started singing “Rush” by Big Audio Dynamite randomly. The same kind of thing happened with “Bad Habits.” Lyrically and phonetically it fit so well with “Kiss a Girl.”

You also got the first verse of Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero” into “Somebody Like You.” The video of you and Nicole at her show in Philadelphia indicated you really had a great time.

(Taylor) is at the top of her game. The best production, the best songs. The catalog is the catalog so she can build the most incredible set list. She’s learned so much over the years about being a great performer, and at that level, you’ve got the best of the best. For me, it was cool watching the best lighting design, the best set design. If you work in those departments, you want to go work on that tour or Beyoncé or Ed Sheeran.

You have a challenge creating a set list from your own giant catalog. What goes into it?

I think of it more of a playlist than a set list. I want to create an experience from the beginning. All of it is chosen for the energy and vibe I’m trying to get in the room … We live in a world now where everything is manufactured. Real is snapping (a photo of) you while you’re waking up blurry-eyed. Those moments are crucial in a show; it’s where our humanity speaks up and you see the flaws and the mistakes.

Worth the wait: Adele dazzles in spectacular Caesars Colosseum residency in Las Vegas

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Keith Urban talks Vegas shows, Nicole Kidman, Adele and Taylor Swift