Music icon Wynonna knows that pain threaded with joy is the sound of survival. On her new album The Hard Truth – coming out on October 2 and her first studio album for ANTI- Records – she isn’t letting go of either one, carrying everything she’s endured and reinventing herself as an artist. Her first time co-writing an album, Wynonna’s voice and story are highlighted alongside special guests that are incredible storytellers in their own right – Patterson Hood of Drive-By Truckers, The War and Treaty and Iron & Wine.
On lead single ‘Kentucky Queen’, Wynonna returns to her childhood roots as an adult in triumph, recalling her aunt’s warning to “watch where the devil hides,” whooping with delight as she reclaims her home state and the parts of the past that saved her. The song highlights the traditional instruments that shape the record as a whole, as Wy’s voice soars over the steam-engine rhythm section carrying listeners along. Listen and watch the single’s new video – where Wy returns to her Kentucky homeland accompanied by beloved Churchill Downs bugler Steve Buttleman – below.
Watch / Listen to Wynonna -‘Kentucky Queen’
“I’ve spent a lifetime singing about heartbreak, healing, faith, and survival, but I’ve never made a record like this one,” Wynonna explained. “These songs tell the truth about where I’ve been, what I’ve lost, what I’ve overcome, and who I’ve become. This album asked me to be brave enough to tell the truth—even when my voice shook. It challenged me to let go of perfectionism and embrace the beauty of honest emotion. My hope is that when you hear these songs, you feel what I was feeling while writing and recording them. If they help someone feel seen, understood, or a little less alone, then every hard truth was worth telling.”
The Hard Truth is a ten-track tribute to deep sorrow and dogged persistence that strips away layer after layer of the lush production that defined Wynonna’s previous recordings, delivering in its place her most personal and powerful work yet. ANTI- is proud to continue its tradition of embracing American legends and giving them a platform to reach new heights. Pre-order limited edition color vinyl in her webstore HERE. Wynonna will also host a Talk Shop Live event on June 15 where she’ll chat directly with fans about the new album as she autographs exclusive vinyl and CD offerings.
A star her entire adult life, Wynonna’s first number one hit, ‘Mama He’s Crazy,’ was released while she was still a teenager. It was the first of eight consecutive number one singles she released with her mother Naomi, performing as The Judds.
When Wynonna set out on her own in 1991, her first three solo singles consecutively topped the Country charts. Since then, she’s had multiple solo albums to reach multi-platinum sales. She has performed everywhere from Oprah and the Kentucky Derby to the Super Bowl halftime show. Her spectacular voice still flaunts a power as limitless as her horizons. But this time, listeners will hear that voice stripped down, with no effects, as she dives deep and delivers up her soul.
The Hard Truth has a major contributor in the form of producer Cactus Moser, Wynonna’s partner in music and life. Wynonna and Moser shared songwriting duties on The Hard Truth and the resulting tracks were recorded to capture and compliment the raw power he’d witnessed decades ago. What they’ve created together is an unvarnished elegy to the dead and the missing, an album that pays tribute to choosing love in the face of suffering. Through instrumentation and arrangements unlike any record in Wynonna’s four-decade career, The Hard Truth rolls in like a night train hitting listeners on the blind side.
“Being a part of this record, and helping bring these songs to life as its producer, has been the most important work I’ve known,” said Moser. “We started with nothing but a feeling and emotion and ended up with an entire album that captures Wynonna’s story with a level of honesty she’s never experienced in her career. It’s the kind of record that makes a difference and reminds you why music exists in the first place.”
Praise for Wynonna
“One of country music’s most venerated singers”— The New York Times
“A legend of legends” — NPR
“The greatest female country singer since Patsy Cline” — Rolling Stone
Wynonna
The Hard Truth
1. Prelude (All Downhill From Ashland)
2. All Downhill From Ashland
3. Everything (feat. Patterson Hood)
4. Am I Missing Out
5. Broken And Blessed
6. Hear Me Now (feat. Iron & Wine)
7. The Hopeful Lie (feat. The War And Treaty)
8. Kentucky Queen
9. Girl Who Could Sing
10. Drive
11. Love Ain’t Got The Best Of Me
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