The day I heard someone refer to Jon Bon Jovi as “Millie Bobby Brown’s father-in-law,” I knew that the world had moved on. The soundtrack of my childhood, along with Disney songs and One Direction, was the ’80s rock of Bon Jovi. My mother has a photo of Jon in his 1985 glory pinned to her Pinterest till this day — complete with his smolder, muscle tee, leather jacket and windswept bouffant of a mullet type of thing.
It’s undeniably past the prime of Bon Jovi. The band topped charts with its iconic singles like “Runaway,” “You Give Love A Bad Name,” “It’s My Life” and “Lost Highway,” released between the 80’s and the 2000’s. But after a few less-than-typical releases in the early naughts, the band quieted down. A documentary released last year revealed that Jon’s voice was giving out as he aged and required surgery. The raspy growl and unhinged screams that brought the band to center stage ended up being the reason they left.
The original version of “Forever” was released in 2024, after a throat surgery that left Jon in recovery for months. The songs are good. It’s undeniably good, but just that — it’s good. It’s not “Livin’ on a Prayer.” The band is unfortunately saddled with the burden of living up to the standards that their 25-year-old selves set, and it’s impossible. Still, it perhaps seems like Jon has given into aging and started to embrace it rather than resist it. The classic Bon Jovi sound is crystal clear, and his voice doesn’t sound much different than it did 40 years ago.
The “Legendary Edition” of this album has the band accompanied by other literal legends of the industry — like fellow New Jersey native Bruce Springsteen and The War and Treaty. The featured voices lift up Jon’s, almost metaphorically giving his tired voice a break. With some of the up-and-comers in the industry, there’s also a mentorship there, each helping each other in different ways.
“Red, White and Jersey” is the only new song on the record and cements Bon Jovi’s permanence in musical history. There’s something about it that just has that Bon Jovi feel. I could plausibly listen to this in the backseat of my mother’s car on the way to the mall. They have, however, added a slight electronica twinkle backed by signature drums and guitar riffs. Maybe John Summit inspired a new trick or two. It’s the story of a nostalgic high school sweetheart romance, something that Bon Jovi made its millions off of. He sings “I knew before I knew ya / That you were gonna be the one / Slow dancing in the fast lane.” Combined with an unapologetic love of the normally-dissed New Jersey, I’m certain I’ll hear this on the beaches of the Jersey Shore for decades to come.
Billy Falcon’s additions to “Kiss The Bride” are melodious harmonies to a ballad. Written for Jon’s daughter for her wedding, the cadence leads itself to a gentle sway while listeners get caught up in the beautiful wishes of a bride-to-be. The track ends on a quiet note, as he sings “I used to be your Superman / My whole world in your little hand / Now he’s your world, that’s right, I’ll step aside / Now she’s your world, alright, I’ll step aside / “You may kiss the bride.” It’s so cute and heartwarming that it almost makes you sick.
Some of the features are a bit confusing, like country rapper-singer Jelly Roll on “Living Proof,” but he pleasantly surprises. His raspy growl fits right into the track, adding a little Southern twang to the verse — “Is faith and hope enough to make a fool believe / Is there anything left for a sinner like me?” But the Spanish version of “We Made It Look Easy / Hicimos Que Pareciera Facil” with Carin León is out of place. It feels clunky in places that make it obvious that the lyrics were written in another language. But after Jon was sighted at a “No Kings” protest in New Jersey, its message aligns with his political stance.
Which brings up “The People’s House.” It has provoking lyricism — the chorus reads “This is the people’s house / From sea to shinin’ sea / The Rocky Mountain built these walls / These halls are our city streets / No wreckin’ ball is gonna knock it down / Nobody’s gonna come to steal the keys.” Throughout the verses, Jon urges listeners to turn toward each other and be open to change. It’s an inspiring song for a saturated political market.
While it won’t replace Bon Jovi classics, it is a return to the band’s iconic sound rather than trying to be something they’re not. Casually assisted by some of the best in the business, “Forever (Legendary Edition)” proves the band’s dominance in rock and roll.
Contact Julia Diorio at [email protected].