Forever (Bon Jovi album)

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Forever
Jon Bon Jovi on a city street with his back turned to the camera, wearing a jacket that has the band name and album title on it
Studio album by
Bon Jovi
ReleasedJune 7, 2024 (2024-06-07)
Studio
GenreRock
Length48:41
LabelIsland
Producer
Bon Jovi chronology
2020
(2020) 		Forever
(2024)
Singles from Forever
  1. "Legendary"
    Released: March 14, 2024
  2. "Living Proof"
    Released: May 17, 2024

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".

Background

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]

Writing and themes

As part of the band's 40th anniversary celebration, “Forever” was released alongside the documentary "Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story" in the same year. In 2022, lead singer Jon Bon Jovi underwent major vocal surgery, casting uncertainty over the band's future and their ability to record a new album. 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," that 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 to feature the use of a talk box [4], a technique previously used in their 2010 song "This Is Love, This Is Life," which appeared on the international version of their Greatest Hits collection.

"Kiss the Bride" is a wedding song written by Bon Jovi for his daughter, Stephanie Bongiovi. "I hope that you like it as much as I do. Maybe even consider it a wedding song for someone you know. But my little baby, who I wrote ‘I Got the Girl’ for when she was 5 years old, is now 30 years old. Different place in my life, different place in her life, but she’s always gonna still be my 5-year-old princess” says Bon Jovi [5]. "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. Bon Jovi says: “I picked it up and I wrote a song with it called My First Guitar – it was one of those songs that had to be on the new record” [6].

Release and promotion

In October 2023, MusiCares announced that Jon Bon Jovi had been selected as the 2024 Person of the Year [7]. During the gala event on February 2, 2024, the band performed "Legendary" for the first time [8] . 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 [9]. 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 [10]. On May 20, the band began posting track-by-track commentary and snippets of each song's chorus on their social media [11]. The album "Forever" was released worldwide on June 7.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic67/100[12]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[13]
Classic Rock[14]
The Independent8/10[15]
Kerrang!4/5[16]

Forever received a score of 67 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on four critics' reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reception.[12] 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."[13] 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."[16] 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."[14] 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."[15]

Track listing

All tracks are produced by Jon Bon Jovi and John Shanks, except "Living in Paradise", produced by Bon Jovi, Shanks and Joel Ruben

Forever track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Legendary"
  • Bon Jovi
  • Shanks
  • Billy Falcon
4:05
2."We Made It Look Easy"
3:15
3."Living Proof"
  • Bon Jovi
  • Shanks
3:39
4."Waves"
3:52
5."Seeds"
5:05
6."Kiss the Bride"
  • Bon Jovi
  • Falcon
3:51
7."The People's House"Bon Jovi4:36
8."Walls of Jericho"
  • Bon Jovi
  • Shanks
  • Philip Lawrence
3:48
9."I Wrote You a Song"
  • Bon Jovi
  • Shanks
  • Falcon
3:25
10."Living in Paradise"
3:16
11."My First Guitar"Bon Jovi4:55
12."Hollow Man"Bon Jovi4:54
Total length:48:41
Japanese deluxe edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
13."That Was Then, This Is Now"Bon Jovi, Shanks, Lawrence4:57
14."Legendary" (demo)Bon Jovi, Shanks, Falcon4:09
Total length:57:53

Personnel

Bon Jovi

  • Jon Bon Jovi – lead vocals, production (all tracks); background vocals (tracks 1, 10), engineering (10)
  • Everett Bradley – background vocals (tracks 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11), percussion (1, 4, 5, 7, 8)
  • David Bryan – background vocals (1–3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11), organ (1, 4, 7, 8, 11, 12), piano (1–4, 6–10, 12), synth pads (1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 10–12), keyboards (3, 6, 9–11)
  • Hugh McDonald – bass (all tracks)
  • John Shanks – acoustic guitar, electric guitar, production (all tracks); synth pads (1, 3, 7, 12), background vocals (2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11), drum programming (3, 7, 8), keyboards (11)
  • Tico Torres – drums (all tracks), percussion (3, 9, 12)
  • Phil X – electric guitar (tracks 1–5, 7–11), background vocals (1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11), talk box (track 3)

Additional musicians

  • Billy Falcon – background vocals (track 1)
  • Bradley Giroux – drum programming (tracks 2, 3, 7)
  • Ryan Tedder – background vocals (tracks 2, 5); drum programming, synth pads (2)
  • Jason Isbell – background vocals, electric guitar (track 4); keyboards, organ, piano (5)
  • Charlie Bisharat – violin (tracks 5, 6)
  • Gerardo Hilera – violin (tracks 5, 6)
  • Joel Pargman – violin (tracks 5, 6)
  • Michele Richards – violin (tracks 5, 6)
  • Natalie Leggett – violin (tracks 5, 6)
  • Songa Lee – violin (tracks 5, 6)
  • Neil Samples – violin (track 5)
  • Philip Vaiman – violin (track 5)
  • Cameron Stone – cello (track 5)
  • David Mergen – cello (track 5)
  • Paula Hochhalter – cello (track 5)
  • Erik Rynearson – viola (track 5)
  • Luke Maurer – viola (track 5)
  • Tom Lea – viola (track 5)
  • Joe Rubel – synth pads (track 10)

Technical

  • Joel Rubel – production (track 10)
  • Ted Jensen – mastering
  • Chris Lord-Alge – mixing
  • Obie O'Brien – engineering
  • Bradley Giroux – engineering (tracks 1–9, 11, 12))
  • Steve Churchyard – engineering (tracks 5, 6, 9)
  • David Campbell – string arrangement (tracks 5, 6, 9)
  • Lars Fox – editing
  • Chris Grainger – mastering assistance
  • Brian Judd – mixing assistance
  • Greyson Smith – mixing assistance
  • Katelyn Prieboy – engineering assistance
  • Logan Taylor – engineering assistance (tracks 5, 6, 9)

Charts

Chart performance for Forever
Chart (2024) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[17] 4
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[18] 4
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[19] 7
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[20] 7
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[21] 29
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[22] 2
Irish Albums (OCC)[23] 20
Italian Albums (FIMI)[24] 25
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[25] 7
Japanese Combined Albums (Oricon)[26] 6
Japanese Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)[27] 5
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[28] 28
Scottish Albums (OCC)[29] 3
Swedish Physical Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[30] 3
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[31] 1
UK Albums (OCC)[32] 3
US Billboard 200[33] 5

References

  1. ^ a b Rolli, Bryan (June 4, 2024). "Bon Jovi, Forever: Album Review". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  2. ^ Kaufman, Gil (June 6, 2024). "Jon Bon Jovi Talks Bouncing Back From Vocal Cord Surgery, 'Forever' Album and Why Band's Songs Will 'Outlive Us'". Billboard. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
  3. ^ Armstrong, Chuck (March 15, 2024). "Jon Bon Jovi Hopes His Legacy 'Was There to Do Some Good'". Loudwire. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
  4. ^ Fraser, Lewry (May 17, 2024). "Bon Jovi break out the talkbox for new single Living Proof and it could almost be 1986 all over again". Yahoo. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
  5. ^ Friedlander, Matt (May 30, 2024). "Jon Bon Jovi Says He Wrote His Band's New Tune 'Kiss the Bride' as a Wedding Song for His Engaged Daughter". American Songwriter. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
  6. ^ Weller, Phill (May 1, 2024). "Jon Bon Jovi has been reunited with the first guitar he ever owned, 45 years after he sold it". Guitar World. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
  7. ^ Weatherby, Taylor (October 19, 2023). "Jon Bon Jovi Named As The 2024 MusiCares Person Of The Year". MusiCares. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
  8. ^ Weatherby, Taylor (February 3, 2024). "7 Highlights From MusiCares' 2024 Person Of The Year Gala Honoring Jon Bon Jovi". Retrieved June 15, 2024.
  9. ^ Bon Jovi (March 12, 2024). BON JOVI FOREVER. YouTube. Bon Jovi. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
  10. ^ Amabile, Michele (May 15, 2024). "Bon Jovi Announces New Single, 'Living Proof'". WWZY. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
  11. ^ Bon Jovi (May 20, 2024). Bon Jovi: ‘Forever’ Track 01: Legendary - Track by Track Commentary. YouTube. Bon Jovi. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
  12. ^ a b "Forever by Bon Jovi Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
  13. ^ a b Erlewyne, Stephen Thomas. "Forever – Bon Jovi | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved June 7, 2024.
  14. ^ a b Wilding, Philip (June 7, 2024). ""Rock songs, power ballads, it's a big-sounding record designed to be played to big rooms": Bon Jovi fight for their future on Forever". Classic Rock. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
  15. ^ a b Feric, Carla (June 6, 2024). "Bon Jovi and Peggy Gou lead acts releasing joyful music to soundtrack summer". The Independent. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
  16. ^ a b Beebee, Steve (June 5, 2024). "Album review: Bon Jovi – Forever". Kerrang!. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  17. ^ "ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. June 17, 2024. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
  18. ^ "Ultratop.be – Bon Jovi – Forever" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
  19. ^ "Ultratop.be – Bon Jovi – Forever" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
  20. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Bon Jovi – Forever" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
  21. ^ "Bon Jovi: Forever" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
  22. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Bon Jovi – Forever" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
  23. ^ "Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
  24. ^ "Album – Classifica settimanale WK 24 (dal 07.06.2024 al 13.06.2024)" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
  25. ^ "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2024-06-17" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved June 12, 2024.
  26. ^ "Oricon Top 50 Combined Albums: June 17, 2024" (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on June 13, 2024. Retrieved June 13, 2024.
  27. ^ "Billboard Japan Hot Albums – Week of June 12, 2024". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved June 12, 2024.
  28. ^ "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. June 17, 2024. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
  29. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
  30. ^ "Veckolista Album Fysiskt, vecka 24". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
  31. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Bon Jovi – Forever". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
  32. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
  33. ^ "Taylor Swift Spends Two Months at No. 1 on Billboard 200 With The Tortured Poets Department". Billboard. Retrieved June 16, 2024.
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