The album was heavily influenced by experiences from Urban's youth, and includes the singles "Female", "Parallel Line", "Coming Home" (featuring Julia Michaels), and "Never Comin' Down".

Keith Urban said that his first influences were records made by such artists as Johnny Cash, Charley Pride, and Merle Haggard that his father collected.

On 23 April, he performed the song at a Spotify "Fans First" event in Nashville, Tennessee along with "Parallel Line" and "Wasted Time", from his previous album Ripcord.

[6] It reached number 12 on the US Billboard Country Airplay chart, his first single to miss the top 10 since his 1999 hit "It's a Love Thing".

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic gave the album three out of five stars, criticizing Urban's attempt to address complicated sexual politics.

[10] Jonathan Bernstein of Rolling Stone gave a two-and-a-half-star review of the album, saying "Urban deserves credit for refusing to rest on his laurels during the height of his arena-headlining mid-career, but on Graffiti U he ends up shining brightest in his well-worn comfort zones while struggling, perhaps for the first time, when he tries to break new sonic and lyrical ground".

[16] Adapted from liner notes[18] "Coming Home" "Never Comin' Down" "Same Heart" "My Wave" "Parallel Line" "Drop Top" "Way Too Long" "Horses" "Gemini" "Texas Time" "Love the Way It Hurts (So Good)" "Female" "Steal My Thunder"