Bon Jovi is back! On Thursday, the iconic rock act — fronted by Jon Bon Jovi and featuring keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, guitarist Phil X and bassist Hugh McDonald — announced its 16th studio album Forever, due June 7 via Island Records.
“This record is a return to joy. From the writing, through the recording process, this is turn up the volume, feel good Bon Jovi,” said Jon, 62, of the new album in a statement. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famers — who are celebrating their 40th anniversary as a band — also released the forthcoming LP’s first single, “Legendary.”
The uplifting anthem features Jon’s hopeful lilt as he belts, “Got what I want ’cause I got what I need / Got a fistful of friends that’ll stand up for me / Right where I am is where I wanna be / Friday night comes around like a song / “Sweet Caroline,” and we all sing along / Got my brown-eyed girl, and she believes in me / Legendary.”
In the music video, the Pay It Forward star can be seen with his bandmates performing in a field beneath a moonlit sky.
Bon Jovi is also celebrating its 40th year with Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story, a four-part docuseries set to debut April 26 on Hulu. It’s the first-ever docuseries focused on Bon Jovi’s history that’s been made fully in cooperation with all past and present members of the band, and the program will reveal behind-the-scenes insights into their rise to fame.
While touching on Bon Jovi’s formation and tumult throughout the years, audiences will see never-before-seen photos and hear demo songs. Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story also dives into Jon’s vocal issues, which he began to face as the project began filming in February 2022.
While promoting the upcoming Hulu series in late February, Jon opened up about his health. “My craft was being taken from me,” he said of his vocal cords, which were “atrophying.” “I say in the film, and in the latter episodes, if I just had my tools back, the rest of it I can deal with,” he said. “I can write you a song, I can perform as well as anybody. But I need to get my tools back.”