| Forever | ||||
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| Released | June 7, 2024 | |||
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| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 48:41 | |||
| Label | Island | |||
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| Bon Jovi chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Forever | ||||
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Forever is the sixteenth studio album by American rock band Bon Jovi, released on June 7, 2024, through Island Records. It was preceded by the singles "Legendary" and "Living Proof". It is their first studio album recorded with longtime producer John Shanks on rhythm guitar and Everett Bradley on backing vocals as official members.
The album is Bon Jovi's first since Jon Bon Jovi had vocal cord surgery in 2022, which was part of the band's 2024 Hulu docuseries Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story, [1] released in conjunction with the band's 40th anniversary. After his recovery, Bon Jovi regained his joy and confidence, inspiring him to start writing music again. [2]
The album opens with the pop-rock song "Legendary", which reflects on the past while looking forward to the future. Bon Jovi explained: "I just feel that there's an opportunity for me to leave a legacy that was there to do some good and maybe just cause a little ripple in the sea." [3] "Living Proof" is the first Bon Jovi song in 14 years that features the use of the talk box, being last used in their 2010 song "This Is Love This Is Life." [4] This sound effect is famously known from their hits "It's My Life" and "Livin' on a Prayer". [5]
"Kiss the Bride" is a wedding song written by Bon Jovi for his daughter, Stephanie Bongiovi. [6] "Living in Paradise" is a collaboration song with British songwriter/singer Ed Sheeran. The song was composed during a weekend when Ed and his family were at Jon Bon Jovi's house. The composition began when Ed started asking for Jon's advice regarding his life experiences. [7] "My First Guitar" is a song composed by Bon Jovi using his very first guitar, which he managed to repurchase from the person he sold it to 45 years ago. [8]
In October 2023, MusiCares announced that Jon Bon Jovi had been selected as the 2024 Person of the Year. [9] During the gala event on February 2, 2024, the band performed "Legendary" for the first time. [10] On March 12, a video titled "Bon Jovi Forever" was uploaded to the band's YouTube channel, announcing the album title and the release of the lead single "Legendary" on March 14. [11] The video also included snippets of the songs "We Made It Look Easy", "Living Proof", and "Waves". On May 15, the band announced that the second single "Living Proof" would be released on May 17. [12] On May 20, the band began posting track-by-track commentary and snippets of each song's chorus on their social media. [13] The album was released on June 7. On August 30, a duet of the song "The People's House" featuring The War and Treaty was released, accompanied by a lyric video. On October 11, the official music video for “The People’s House” featuring The War and Treaty was released, accompanied by a statement from Jon Bon Jovi endorsing Kamala Harris in the 2024 United States presidential election. [14]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 61/100 [15] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [16] |
| Classic Rock | [17] |
| The Independent | 8/10 [18] |
| Kerrang! | 4/5 [19] |
Forever received a score of 61 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on five critics' reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reception. [15] AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote that "as the first record Bon Jovi has made since their singer's surgery, it also functions as an unveiling of a revived band" and "this sense of refinement suits a group who knows they're a bit older and a bit slower than they were 40 years ago but they're grateful to still be happy doing what they're doing all these decades later." [16] Steve Beebee of Kerrang! called Forever "an album by an artist who has much to celebrate and nothing left to prove" and found that the music "has a kind of open-road joy about it. The songs are reflective, certainly, and often chime with Bon Jovi classics of the past." [19] Bryan Rolli of Ultimate Classic Rock wrote that "the guitars are sterile, the lyrics are treacly and you can telegraph exactly where the band's going to drop out for Bon Jovi to utter the hook—yet despite your best efforts, these songs will lodge themselves in your brain, because that's what this band does best." [1]
Classic Rock 's Philip Wilding wrote that unlike the "pretty much solo" 2020 , "Forever sounds like a Bon Jovi album. Rock songs, power ballads, it's a big-sounding record designed to be played to big rooms." [17] Carla Feric, reviewing the album for The Independent , concluded that "The album diverges from past material, but Jon Bon Jovi's powerful vocals have not faltered and the band's instrumentals keep the tracks catchy and fresh – making the listener want to keep this one on repeat." [18]
All tracks are produced by Jon Bon Jovi and John Shanks, except "Living in Paradise", produced by Bon Jovi, Shanks and Joe Rubel
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Legendary" | 4:05 | |
| 2. | "We Made It Look Easy" |
| 3:15 |
| 3. | "Living Proof" |
| 3:39 |
| 4. | "Waves" |
| 3:52 |
| 5. | "Seeds" |
| 5:05 |
| 6. | "Kiss the Bride" |
| 3:51 |
| 7. | "The People's House" | Bon Jovi | 4:36 |
| 8. | "Walls of Jericho" |
| 3:48 |
| 9. | "I Wrote You a Song" |
| 3:25 |
| 10. | "Living in Paradise" |
| 3:16 |
| 11. | "My First Guitar" | Bon Jovi | 4:55 |
| 12. | "Hollow Man" | Bon Jovi | 4:54 |
| Total length: | 48:41 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "That Was Then, This Is Now" |
| 4:57 |
| 14. | "Legendary" (demo) |
| 4:09 |
| Total length: | 57:53 | ||
Bon Jovi
Additional musicians
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Bon Jovi is the debut studio album by American rock band Bon Jovi, released on January 23, 1984, by Mercury Records. Produced by Tony Bongiovi and Lance Quinn, it is significant for being the only Bon Jovi album in which a song appears that was not written or co-written by a member of the band. The album charted at number 43 on the US Billboard 200.
7800° Fahrenheit is the second studio album by American rock band Bon Jovi. It was released on March 27, 1985, through Mercury Records. The album's title is a reference to the supposed melting point of rock, which is equivalent to 4315.5 °C. In the United States, the Fahrenheit scale is in general use, suggesting the album consists of "American hot rock". The album's artwork introduced the classic 1980s Bon Jovi logo that would later be used on Slippery When Wet and New Jersey. 7800° Fahrenheit spent 104 weeks on the Billboard 200 albums chart and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on February 19, 1987. The singles "Only Lonely" and "In and Out of Love" both charted on the Billboard Hot 100.
Slippery When Wet is the third studio album by American rock band Bon Jovi, released on August 18, 1986, by Mercury Records in North America and Vertigo Records internationally. It was produced by Bruce Fairbairn, with recording sessions taking place between January and July 1986 at Little Mountain Sound Studios in Vancouver. The album features many of Bon Jovi's best-known songs, including "You Give Love a Bad Name", "Livin' on a Prayer", and "Wanted Dead or Alive".
New Jersey is the fourth studio album by American rock band Bon Jovi, released on September 19, 1988, by Mercury Records. The album was produced by Bruce Fairbairn and recorded at Little Mountain Sound Studios in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The album was the follow-up to the band's third album, Slippery When Wet, and reached number one on the Billboard 200 chart in its second week of release after debuting at number eight. It remained at the top for four consecutive weeks and was Bon Jovi's last album to do so until Lost Highway (2007). The album was named after the birth state of Jon Bon Jovi, New Jersey.
Keep the Faith is the fifth studio album by American rock band Bon Jovi, released on November 3, 1992, by Mercury Records. It is Bon Jovi's last studio album to feature all five original band members as bass guitarist Alec John Such was dismissed from the band in 1994, though it was not his last release with the band. It is Bon Jovi's first album to not be produced by either Lance Quinn or Bruce Fairbairn. The album was produced by Bob Rock and was recorded at the Little Mountain Sound Studios in Vancouver, British Columbia. Keep the Faith marked a change to a "more serious interpretation of the band's pop-metal groove". It is also Bon Jovi's longest album to date, clocking in at 66 minutes.
These Days (stylized as (these Days)) is the sixth studio album by American rock band Bon Jovi, released on June 27, 1995, by Mercury Records. This was the first album Bon Jovi released after the dismissal of original bass guitarist Alec John Such, and their first album to be recorded officially as four-piece band (without an official bassist, but featured Hugh McDonald as a session/touring member on bass guitar). The album, produced by Peter Collins, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, is praised by many critics and fans as their best album. These Days is overall a darker album in contrast to the band's usual brand of feel-good, inspiring rock songs and love ballads.
Crush is the seventh studio album by American rock band Bon Jovi. It was released on May 29, 2000, by Mercury Records in the UK and on June 13, 2000, by Island Records in the US. It was produced by Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, and Luke Ebbin. The album marks the longest timespan between studio albums for the band, with five years between the release of These Days (1995) and this album. After the initial plan to team up with producer Bruce Fairbairn fell through because of his death a year earlier, Bon Jovi and Sambora hired Luke Ebbin to update their sound.
Bounce is the eighth studio album by American rock band Bon Jovi, released on October 8, 2002 through Island Records. Produced by Luke Ebbin, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, the album was recorded at Sanctuary II Studio in New Jersey.
This Left Feels Right is a compilation album by Bon Jovi, released in 2003. An album featuring new versions of the band's songs from previous albums, it charted at No. 14 on Billboard 200. It's a "trip down memory lane" as Jon Bon Jovi described the album. It features revamped versions of many of Bon Jovi's biggest hits, often in a more somber style. Many of the 80's hard hitting chart-rockers are presented in a different light as soulful ballads.
Cross Road is the first official greatest hits album by American rock band Bon Jovi, released on October 11, 1994, by Mercury Records. The album contains hits from all previously released albums from their debut, Bon Jovi (1984) to Keep the Faith (1992). The album also features two new tracks: the hit singles "Always" and "Someday I'll Be Saturday Night", as well as a new, updated rendition of "Livin' on a Prayer" entitled "Prayer '94" available only on the North American versions.
Have a Nice Day is the ninth studio album by American rock band Bon Jovi, released on September 20, 2005. Produced by John Shanks, the album was recorded at Sanctuary Sound II in New Jersey, and Ocean Way Recording in Hollywood, California.
Blaze of Glory is the debut solo studio album by Jon Bon Jovi, the frontman of Bon Jovi. The album was released on August 7, 1990, through Mercury Records. It includes songs from and inspired by the movie Young Guns II. Emilio Estevez originally approached Bon Jovi to ask him for permission to include the song "Wanted Dead or Alive" on the soundtrack.
Destination Anywhere is the second solo studio album by Jon Bon Jovi, released on June 16, 1997 and features music from the film Destination Anywhere released in the same year. It follows his successful 1990 soundtrack Blaze of Glory, from the film Young Guns II.
Lost Highway is the tenth studio album by American rock band Bon Jovi, released on June 19, 2007, in the US through Island Records. Produced by John Shanks and Dann Huff, the album was recorded at Black Bird Studios, Nashville and NGR Recording, Hollywood.
The Circle is the eleventh studio album by American rock band Bon Jovi. Released on November 10, 2009, the album was produced by John Shanks. The album debuted at number 1 in several countries, including the U.S., where it sold 163,000 copies in its first week.
Greatest Hits is a compilation album by American rock band Bon Jovi, released by Island Records on October 29, 2010.
What About Now is the twelfth studio album by American rock band Bon Jovi. Produced by John Shanks, the album was released on March 8, 2013 in Australia and March 12, 2013 in the United States. The album was promoted throughout the band's 2013 Because We Can: The Tour. It is the last album to feature lead guitarist Richie Sambora before his departure from the band the following month.
Burning Bridges is the thirteenth studio album by American rock band Bon Jovi consisting of new songs, as well as formerly unreleased and unfinished songs. Released on August 21, 2015 by Mercury Records. Produced by John Shanks, it was the first release since the departure of former guitarist Richie Sambora in 2013, with Shanks handling the lead guitar parts. Burning Bridges is their last album to be released through Mercury, marking the end of their 32-year relationship with the label. According to Jon Bon Jovi, the album serves as a "fan record" to tie in with an accompanying international tour: "It's songs that weren't finished, that were finished, a couple of new ones like the one we released as a single 'We Don't Run'." Burning Bridges was followed by This House Is Not for Sale, the band's fourteenth studio album released in 2016 which featured all new songs.
This House Is Not for Sale is the fourteenth studio album by American rock band Bon Jovi. It was released on November 4, 2016, by Island Records. It is the band's first studio album with Phil X on lead guitar after he replaced founding member Richie Sambora in 2013, as well as the first album to feature bassist Hugh McDonald as an official member after having played with the band in a touring/session capacity since 1994.
2020 is the fifteenth studio album by American rock band Bon Jovi. The album was initially set for release on May 15, 2020, through Island, but was later pushed back to October 2, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
