Country Music Superstar Tells 'The Hard Truth' in First Solo Album in a Decade
Country music icon Wynonna is revealing her hard truths in her new album, The Hard Truth, which will be released on Oct. 2, but first she kicks off a new tour on June 18 at The Caverns in Pelham, TN, which will run through Oct 2 in Ashland, KY.
The new album – first time co-writing an album -- demonstrates the truth that pain threaded with joy is the sound of survival.
In The Hard Truth, 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.
"I've spent a lifetime singing about heartbreak, healing, faith, and survival, but I've never made a record like this one," Wynonna said in a statement. "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 first single from the album is "Kentucky Queen," which takes the country singer back 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.
Watch the video for "Kentucky Queen" here:
The Hard Truth is a 10-track 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. Producer Cactus Moser, Wynonna's partner in music and life, is a major contributor.
This summer, Wynonna will tour around the country on a co-headlining run with fellow legend Melissa Etheridge and will return to her Kentucky roots with a mini tour of the state, including a show in her hometown of Ashland on album release day.
The Hard Truth Tracks
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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This story was originally published June 9, 2026 at 5:34 PM.