Bon Jovi has released the first single “Legendary” from their upcoming album, Forever, out June 7. Forever marks the band’s 16th release and their first in four years since 2020.
“This record is a return to joy,” said Jon Bon Jovi of the album in a statement. “From the writing, through the recording process, this is turn up the volume, feel good Bon Jovi.”
I raise my hands up to the sky / Don’t need more to tell me I’m alive sings Bon Jovi on the new single, a partial ode to some of his struggles throughout the past four years. “How did I get to joy?” said Bon Jovi of the 10-track album. “I had to work through a lot of dark misery. I’m thinking about where to go musically and I run into a problem physically, where now I have to seek out a specialist in the field to do a vocal surgery that is not often done.”
To commemorate the 40th anniversary of Bon Jovi, and their eponymous 1984 debut, the Hulu four-part docu-series Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story, which officially premieres on April 26, will have a special premiere at SXSW.
The documentary also addresses frontman Jon Bon Jovi‘s recent battle with vocal issues. Bon Jovi recently revealed that he recently had reconstructive surgery on his vocal cords, and said he wasn’t sure if he would ever tour again.
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“It’s become public knowledge now, but I’ve had major reconstructive surgery in my vocal cords, and I never had anything like this, ever,” said Bon Jovi. “So it’s been a difficult road, but I found a doctor in Philadelphia who did something called a medialization because one of my cords was literally atrophied.”
[RELATED: 10 Songs You Didn’t Know Jon Bon Jovi Wrote for Other Artists]
Vocal fold medialization is a procedure in which “the paralyzed vocal fold (vocal cord) is pushed to the middle so that the functioning vocal fold can close properly to regain normal vocal function and swallowing ability,” according to Jefferson Health.
Sometimes people get nodules; that’s pretty commonplace,” added Bon Jovi. “Sometimes deviated septums and things that they’ve done take [their] toll on the cords. The only thing that’s ever been up my nose has been my finger. So it was very difficult this last decade to have to contend with something that was out of my control.”
On February 2, 2024, Jon Bon Jovi was honored during the MusicCares Person of the Year gala event where he performed “Legendary” along with “Who Says You Can’t Go Home” and “The Promised Land” with special guest Bruce Springsteen. The ceremony also featured a finale performance of Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer” with Sammy Hagar, Shania Twain, Lainey Wilson, Jelly Roll, Marcus King, and more joining the singer on stage.”
Bon Jovi ‘Forever’ Tracklist:
1. “Legendary”
2. “We Made It Look Easy”
3. “Living Proof”
4. “Waves”
5. “Seeds”
6. “Kiss The Bride”
7. “The People’s House”
8. “Walls Of Jericho”
9. “I Wrote You A Song”
10. “Living In Paradise”
11. “My First Guitar”
12. “Hollow Man”
Photo: Mark Seliger / Courtesy of Island Records
