John Mellencamp has shared the new song “Hey God,” ahead of the June 2 release via Republic Records of his album Orpheus Descending.
Shop the best of John Mellencamp’s discography on vinyl and more.
The full set, self-produced by the artist, will be his 25th album, and was recorded at his own Belmont Mall Studio. It’s being billed as one of Mellencamp’s most personal records to date, with “Hey God” sitting alongside “The Eyes of Portland” in focusing on social issues that he continues to advocate for with passion.
The star’s huge Live and In Person North American tour is currently under way, with dates continuing until June 27 with stops in New York City, Nashville, Philadelphia, Boston, and more. More information and ticket availability can be found here.
Tracks from Orpheus Descending are getting their live debut during the current tour, and attracting media attention. The Chicago Tribune wrote: “Awash in death, ‘Hey God’ functioned as a plea for deliverance from senseless gun violence. Preceded by a story about his encounter with a 20-something homeless woman, the solo acoustic ‘The Eyes of Portland’ took aim at the empty ‘thoughts and prayers’ condolences offered as a solution to major tragedies and dilemmas.” LA Weekly adds that his performances on the tour are “authentic, grounded and painfully honest.”
Mellencamp’s acclaimed studio LP Strictly A One-Eyed Jack came out early last year and won praise from the New York Times, NPR Music, Associated Press, the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and more. “Mellencamp is a poet of ennui, making him an apt mouthpiece for our moment,” wrote the New Yorker, while Forbes noted: “Mellencamp is absolutely uncompromising and unyielding as an artist.”
Associated Press added: “Longtime fans of Mellencamp will find much to like on this new offering from the artist. Time spent listening will certainly not be wasted time.” The New York Times’ verdict was: “It’s a vintage-style blues stop with slide guitar and fiddle flanking his voice, and though he proclaims his bitter solitude, he has a crowd shouting alongside him by the end.”
For the Wall Street Journal, the album was “a collection of songs steeped in folk and blues, told from the perspective of a man looking back over his life, while Rolling Stone mused: “Mellencamp has made an urgent-feeling, musically rich record, one of his most memorable in a while. Whether life has much left to give him is his call to make, but he still has plenty to offer us.”
Mellencamp also recently released a deluxe edition reissue of his landmark 1985 album Scarecrow, offering a massive collection of bonus tracks, rarities, and unreleased gems.
Pre-order Orpheus Descending, which is released on June 2.
