Wynonna Shares 'Kentucky Queen' To Announce New Album 'The Hard Truth'

By Editorial Staff | Published: Jun 09, 2026 4:35 PM EDT

Country music icon Wynonna has shared a brand new song called "Kentucky Queen" and announced that she will be releasing her new album "The Hard Truth" on October 2nd.

Here is the official announcement: 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.

"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.