It’s a new chapter for Wynonna Judd. The 62-year-old just released “Kentucky Queen,” the debut single from her new album, The Hard Truth, out on October 2. Her first solo record in ten years, since Wynonna & the Big Noise came out in 2016, The Hard Truth includes collaborations with Patterson Hood, Iron & Wine, and The War and Treaty.
“I’ve spent a lifetime singing about heartbreak, healing, faith, and survival, but I’ve never made a record like this one,” Wynonna says. “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,” she adds. “If they help someone feel seen, understood, or a little less alone, then every hard truth was worth telling.”
The Hard Truth is produced by Cactus Moser, Wynonna’s husband since 2012.
“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,” he says. “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.”
Wynonna Judd’s New Single, “Kentucky Queen”
Wynonna announced “Kentucky Queen” on SiriusXM’s The Highway, during CMA Fest, as part of their Music Row Happy Hour.
“I was raised in the dirt,” Wynonna teases. “And now I wear rhinestones. So I’ll just put it that way.”
“Kentucky Queen” begins with “Well, I left my feet in the dirt too long / Wasn’t gonna wash off for days / Leave me right where I was planted / Don’t miss the forest for the trees / Growin’ up with the mountain on me / Roots down in the holler / When nobody was lookin’ / I’d get back in that dirt / ‘Cause the dirt made me / The dirt made me / Like a Mama with no shame made me / The dirt made me / It gave me a name / Kentucky Queen.”
Wynonna Judd Overcomes Hardships to Release ‘The Hard Truth’
Wynonna is moving forward with new music, in spite of her grief over the devastating loss of her mother, Naomi Judd, who passed away in 2022, after a fierce battle with depression. Together, the mother and daughter made up The Judds, who were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame one day after Naomi took her own life.
“I did not know that she was at the place she was at when she ended it because she had had episodes before and she got better,” Wynonna later told CBS Sunday Morning. “That’s the challenge of mental illness. It’s really, really mysterious. And that’s what I live in, is like, ‘Was there anything I should have looked for or should I have known?’ I didn’t. That’s why it’s such a shock.”
Wynonna bravely finished what was supposed to be The Judds’ Final Tour. She has continued to tour, and will spend much of the remainder of the year on the road, including headlining some dates with Melissa Etheridge. Wynonna is also one of the performers on the 2027 Country Music Cruise, along with Clint Black, Joe Nichols, The Bellamy Brothers, Neal McCoy, Wade Hayes, Billy Dean, Darryl Worley, The Malpass Brothers, and more.
‘The Hard Truth’ Track List:
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