Keith Urban And Post Malone Looked Like An Unlikely Pair — Then They Grabbed Their Guitars And Brought Elvis Presley’s Rock ’N’ Roll Spirit Roaring Back To Life
Put Keith Urban and Post Malone together on an Elvis Presley classic and, at first glance, it might sound like one of music’s more unexpected pairings.
But the moment the guitars kicked in, any doubts disappeared.
Back in 2019, some of the biggest names in music gathered to honor the man who changed popular music forever during NBC’s star-packed Elvis All-Star Tribute.
Inspired by Presley’s legendary 1968 television comeback special, the event brought together artists from country, pop and beyond, including Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood, Dierks Bentley, Kelsea Ballerini, Little Big Town and Darius Rucker.
Yet one particularly memorable collaboration came when Urban walked onstage alongside Malone for a swaggering performance of “Baby, What You Want Me To Do.”
And they certainly looked ready for Elvis.
Urban appeared in a glittering grey-and-black jacket, while Malone went even bolder in a bright yellow suit paired with silver cowboy boots — outfits that nodded toward Presley’s famously fearless sense of style without simply attempting to imitate him.
Then came the music.
With guitars in their hands and a full band behind them, Urban and Malone traded vocals before locking into harmony, giving the blues-driven number a gritty modern edge while keeping the rock ‘n’ roll attitude of Presley’s rendition firmly intact.
The chemistry was perhaps the biggest surprise.
Urban’s polished guitar playing and unmistakable country-rock delivery blended naturally with Malone’s rougher vocal tone. Instead of sounding like two stars from completely different musical worlds, they looked remarkably comfortable sharing the stage.
Looking back now, the collaboration feels even more fascinating.
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At the time, Malone was still primarily known globally as a rapper and pop superstar. But his affection for country music was hardly a secret. He had frequently performed covers and spoken about his appreciation for the genre long before officially making his major country move.
That move finally exploded in 2024 when Malone teamed with Morgan Wallen for “I Had Some Help.” He later released his country project F-1 Trillion, collaborating with major Nashville names including Blake Shelton, Luke Combs and Chris Stapleton.
Suddenly, that old Elvis performance with Urban looked less like an unusual experiment and more like an early glimpse of where Malone’s musical journey might eventually take him.
But predictions about the future weren’t what mattered that night.
The performance was about honoring Elvis — an artist whose influence became so enormous that musicians from wildly different genres could stand together decades later and still find common ground in his songs.
And Urban and Malone proved exactly that.
Two guitars. Two completely different musical backgrounds. One Elvis classic — and a throwback performance that feels even more remarkable today than it did in 2019.
