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Keith Urban Fans Take Sides After Singer Accidentally Triggers a Social Media Debate

To sit or to stand — that is the question that superstar country music artist Keith Urban accidentally posed by releasing a harmless selfie.

An opinionated, rarely-satisfied social media crowd descended upon Urban’s recent picture of himself standing by a sign that read: “Guests are encouraged to stand during the performance.” Urban snapped the photo while rehearsing for the beginning of his Las Vegas residency. The sign is plastered to a pole in the middle of where an audience would typically stand (or sit).

Where Urban erred was by sharing any semblance of his own opinion on social media: in the photo, he seems to agree with the sentiment that patrons should stand at a concert, which of course ruffled the feathers of all the “sitters” of the world.

“Saw this sign and went ‘Yep … we are SO IN THE RIGHT PLACE,’” he wrote from the Zappos Theater Planet Hollywood on March 3. “Here we go Vegas! Opening night of our [brand-new] show. I’m giddy as s—!!!!!!!!”

To their credit, many fans agreed with the sentiment — which was more excitement than some sort of statement on how to enjoy a concert.

“Thank you for the SIGN!! Who can sit during a show — not this young lady… cheers!” one person wrote on Instagram. “So glad you said this! I’ve been to so many concerts and I love the music and need to stand and move! ❤️,” another agreed. “It is no fun to go see a concert and nobody stands!” a different follower added.

Keith Urban will perform live at the CMT Awards Sunday, April 2 on Paramount+

Others, however, had to complain.

“I pay for a seat. If you are able to stand, please buy a pit/general admission seat. And I never yell at anyone. Just passing that along,” someone else chimed in. “Sorry. Not right if people choose to stand and I can’t see. I get it at the end. But not the whole time. Disrespectful. Pay a lot for a seat,” another fan said.

In addition to his residency, fans can also catch Urban taking the stage at the iHeartRadio Awards. He will also perform at the 2023 CMT Awards on April 2, where he is nominated for two trophies.

The show airs on CBS live from the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, at 8:00 p.m. ET. Viewers can also stream the show on Paramount+. The CMTs are especially fun because fans get to vote on every single category. It’s the only such award show completely determined by popular vote.

The CMTs will also honor Shania Twain as the third-ever recipient of the CMT Equal Play Award. The award honors performers who advocate for change within the industry.

“The music industry going back 20 years ago, 30 years ago, was primarily more dominated by men,” Twain told CNBC in an interview. “You know, male executives, most of the studio musicians were men. Most of the managers were men. It was just more male-dominated in every sense. So being taken seriously as a woman was a challenge.”