Why is Keith Urban comparing Miley Cyrus to an ashtray? And why is he insisting it’s a compliment?!
Miley Cyrus is talented, accomplished, and intensely famous. She’s in high demand, she’s a target of vitriol from disgraced former presidents, and she’s worked hard to get to where she is.
Keith Urban is best known as Nicole Kidman’s husband, but he is also a Country music star. When he has music opinions, people listen.
Comparing Miley Cyrus to an ashtray is a choice. But it’s not necessarily an insult. Is this really a compliment?
What did Keith Urban say about Miley Cyrus?
During a recent episode of Nova 96.9’s Fitzy and Wippa with Kate Ritchie in Sydney, Keith Urban spoke about the beloved singer.
He praised that he has “always loved Miley,” which is the correct way to feel about Miley Cyrus. Despite some mistakes and missteps in her life, she’s been a vocal force for good.
I love that voice, man, that voice,” Keith Urban then said of Miley Cyrus. “She sounds like an ashtray.”
A what now?
“And I mean that as a compliment,” Keith Urban quickly clarified about his “ashtray” comment about Miley Cyrus.
“She sounds like the carpet at the RSL!” he then added. RSL refers to Returned and Services League, a gathering place for veterans and current military personnel. Presumably, he is implying that such places are havens for cigarette smokers.
How is ‘ashtray’ a compliment in any form?
Ashtrays are unsightly fixtures of a thankfully bygone era. There was a time when they sat on restaurant tables, in doctor’s waiting rooms, and in office buildings — each a location filled with a foul smell and a haze of smoke.
But when Keith Urban said that Miley Cyrus had a voice like an ashtray, it’s clear that he did not mean it as an insult.
Rather, it seems that he was praising her for her distinct, raspy voice. Though there are many ways to have a raspy voice, cigarettes systematically damage many parts of the human body, and sometimes result in deep, hoarse voices. Thus the expression of a person having a “voice like an ashtray.”
Keith Urban has put his fondness for Miley’s music on display.
Multiple times, he has performed covers of “Flowers” at his own shows.
Covering a song is, with the rarest of exceptions, always a sign of flattery. Keith Urban very clearly loves Miley Cyrus’ music … and her “ashtray” voice.
He has high praise for other singers, too
In April of 2024, Keith Urban sang the praises of Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department songwriting while speaking to People.
He also gushed over Ariana Grande’s “We Can’t Be Friends,” likening it to “audible heroin” that he simply couldn’t quit.
This is where we see that Keith Urban is clearly a decent guy with great taste in music. We also see that he pretty consistently comes up with colorful, seemingly unflattering analogies when he’s showering other singers with compliments.
