Wynonna Judd opens up like never before on her first solo studio album in a decade.
The country icon was announced on Tuesday (June 9). The hard truth and released the lead single “Kentucky Queen”.
And judging by her own words, fans can expect one of the most personal projects of her career.
Wynonna Judd is ready to tell the truth
In a heartfelt message shared on social media, Judd revealed The hard truth was years in the making and unlike anything she’s released before.
Read more: Wynonna Judd is done chasing the past – and owning who she is now (Exclusive)
“I’ve been singing about heartbreak, healing, faith and survival all my life, but I’ve never made a record like this,” she wrote. “These songs tell the truth about where I’ve been, what I’ve lost, what I’ve overcome and who I’ve become.”
The album was produced by Judd’s husband, Cactus Moserand it took five years to complete.
According to Judd, the process pushed her to let go of perfectionism and embrace a more vulnerable approach to songwriting and recording.
This album asked me to be brave enough to tell the truth, even when my voice was shaking. It challenged me to let go of perfectionism and embrace the beauty of honest emotion.
The eleven-song project is scheduled for release on October 2.
Along with the announcement, Judd released the album’s lead single, “Kentucky Queen.”
“My hope is that when you hear these songs, you feel what I felt when I wrote and recorded them,” she added. “If they help someone feel seen, understood, or a little less alone, then every hard truth was worth telling.”
She doesn’t chase the past
In March, Judd spoke with Taste of the country about where she is at this stage of her life and career.
Read more: When The Judds, Tanya Tucker + More played an epic Super Bowl Halftime Show
While she was getting ready to go on the road Melissa EtheridgeJudd reflected on the difference between the young woman who first entered the country music scene and the artist she is today.
“I guess at this point in my life, I don’t chase that girl anymore — I honor the woman who survived,” she told us.
The girl I was when I started was full of fire and dreams, but she didn’t yet know what life would ask of her. She hadn’t experienced the heartbreak, the loss, the struggle… all the things that shape your voice in ways no singing lesson ever could.
That perspective feels particularly relevant now. Judd said every chapter of her life comes with her when she takes the stage.
Read more: Wynonna Judd posts an emotional birthday note to her late mother, Naomi
“When I walk onstage now, especially with someone like Melissa, who has lived her own kind of truth, I take it all with me — the joy, the scars, the gratitude that you’re still here and you can still sing after all these years,” she explained.
“So no, I’m not chasing who I used to be. I stand in who I am – and there’s a lot of power in that. And I think the audience can feel it.”
A busy year ahead
Besides letting go The hard truth this fall, Judd will spend much of the summer at the Grew up on radio tour with Melissa Etheridge.
She will also return to her home state for three shows in Kentucky in celebration of the album’s release.
For an artist whose career is defined by honesty, resilience and perseverance, The hard truth is perhaps her most revealing project to date.
The Judds’ Best Songs – Top 10 Hits by Wynonna and Naomi Judd
The Judds have fourteen No. 1 songs and dominated the Duo and Group of the Year awards at both the CMA and ACM Awards in the 1980s. They also recorded several dozen great songs that never made it to radio. Here are their Top 10 songs ever.
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