The new version keeps the Bon Jovi spirit alive
Bon Jovi has always been one of my favorite bands, producing some of the biggest rock anthems since 1984. The best era, in my opinion, is from 1986-1995, but they managed to produce some strong titles in the 2000s. The band has always reinvented itself, cutting their hair for 1992’s Keep The Faith, releasing a country-flavored record in 2007 with Lost Highway that spawned a chart-topping country radio hit, and retooling some of their biggest hits with 2003’s This Left Feels Right.
Last year, the band released Forever, which was written and recorded during Jon Bon Jovi’s well-documented vocal struggles, as profiled in the band’s 2024 four-part Hulu series, Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story. Unable to tour due to major reconstructive surgery on his vocal cords, Jon focused on healing and reached out to friends to lend their talents to reimagining the album that JBJ says was “borne out of necessity.”
“I was singing well enough in the studio for the recording, but the vocal demands and rigors of touring were still out of reach for me,” Jon says. “Without the ability to tour or promote an album we were all very proud of, I decided to call on some friends to help me in my time of need. All are great singers, artists, and also just great people. The result is an album with a new viewpoint and new spirit — a collaboration album that proves we all get by in this world with a little help from our friends.”
Forever might not have charted beyond the first week, which success mostly contributed to a presale marketing technique with various editions and bundles, but 16 months later, it breathes new life with guest appearances from some of music’s biggest stars. Bruce Springsteen, Jelly Roll, James Bay, Robbie Williams, Jason Isbell, Ryan Tedder, The War and Treaty, Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott, Lainey Wilson, Avril Lavigne, and Marcus King are among the duet partners on 13 of the songs.
Last fall, the group shared “The People’s House,” featuring country duo The War and Treaty. The gospel-flavored track was the first taste of the new project that was still over a year away from being released. Its black-and-white video features frontman Jon Bon Jovi singing with the duo throughout Nashville, including the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge, where Jon helped save a woman from jumping into the Cumberland River during filming.
“Hollow Man” features The Boss trading vocals on verses and harmonizing with JBJ on the chorus. The harmonica adds a nice zest to the song that was absent from the original. It had heart then, but adds some soul now.
King appropriately guests on “My First Guitar,” trading vocals and licks in a jam-style, while Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott is unrecognizable, but not in a bad way, on “Walls of Jericho.”
For the updated project, the band revisited the studio to cut “Red, White and Jersey,” an unapologetic expression of love and pride for the band’s home state of New Jersey. The music video for the song features various iconic locations in the Garden State, including the Asbury Park Boardwalk and diners, reinforcing the New Jersey theme. The uptempo rocker is a nice solo band addition to the album.
While the modern era may not be my favorite of theirs, they still manage to churn out songs that are catchy and reminiscent of the big choruses they’re famous for singing. They continue that trend as they release their 2024 record, Forever, as a collaboration project with one new solo band song they named Forever (Legendary Edition). With a return to the road in 2026, the Bon Jovi spirit remains alive.
