Wynonna Judd has opened up about her newest album, The Hard Truth. And, as the name suggests, well... there's a lot of hard truths.
She grapples with a lot on the album, per Whiskey Riff: her relationship with her mom, her relationship with her daughter, her childhood, the list goes on.
But it's no secret that Wynonna Judd had a pretty complicated relationship with her mom. She's opened up numerous times about several experiences involving Naomi Judd which were less than perfect.
And one song off her newest album reflects on her childhood, where she had to step up to raise her younger sister. "Kentucky Queen" has some stark and frankly quite emotional lyrics:
Well I took advice from my Aunt Ramona / Watch where the devil hides / Count your blessings against your sin / and pray the blessings win
Wash your hands and watch your sister / Take her where you go / When nobody was lookin' / I'd go lookin' for the wind
She also described her mom as "a Mama with no shame". Obviously, that's some pretty deep stuff to be singing about - but it's something she's come to terms with.
To the point that she would have still recorded and released the track if Naomi was still here. Wynonna Judd explained, "Yes, I think I would've been more determined. It's story, and it's my feelings."
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Wynonna Judd Admitted it Wouldn't Have Been Good for Her Mom
Obviously, it wouldn't have had the best affect on her mom. As she puts it, "I think it would be very painful for her, very painful. But I also know that she knows me, that I'm so honest and so up-front."
The album itself is an exploration of a lot of the more serious moments in her life. But it was the death of her mother that spurred her on into making the album - with a little help from her husband.
"When Mom died," she explained, "I went into a dark hole of just wondering, 'What the heck now? It's been 10 years since I've put out a record. 'I'm somewhere between hell and hallelujah' - I said that, and he wrote it down."
