Keith Urban says 'people have long forgotten' Taylor Swift's history

Keith Urban is in awe of pop icon Taylor Swift’s rising popularity and success.

Keith, 56, praised Swift, 34, for dealing with "critics slamming her.”

Speaking with The Times, he said, “It’s been remarkable watching Taylor grow in public because it’s pretty brutal. It feels like now people have long forgotten all of the s--- she had to go through," and "critics slamming her.”

“Just trial by fire over and over — and always getting stronger for it,” he remarked.

In 2009, the Fortnight hitmaker supported Keith on his tour, and the duo have been pals ever since.

“When she opened for us, I watched her perform and I’m, like, ‘Oh, this girl has her sights way past this thing,’ ” he recalled.

The Let It Roll singer previously shared praise for Swift’s newest album The Tortured Poets Department.

Keith told People: “I mean, God, Taylor's songwriting, it's so extraordinary. There's really no adjectives for it. She's such a great, great writer. So this new album is just more proof of that in really great ways.”

"[Swift] doesn't sound like anyone. I like singers that you know their voice immediately, and there’s a lot of other singers that sound like them, but they don't sound like anyone," he added.