Source: Reuters

NASHVILLE (Billboard) - To Jon Bon Jovi, each new Bon Jovi album is a musical diary chronicling moments in time. But for the band's new set, "Have a Nice Day," the veteran rocker says he looked further within himself and at the world than he has in the band's 20-year history.

"There are songs that are socially conscious, especially in light of what happened both (in the) pre- and post-election period in our country, when I witnessed polarization that I have never seen before," Bon Jovi says. On a personal level, he says, "songs like 'I Wanna Be Loved' are more introspective than I've ever been."

It is that combination of personal revelations and universal themes that has attracted a global audience and spurred record sales past the 100 million mark worldwide for the quartet.

And now, the band that has always been a lot rock 'n' roll may even be a little bit country. The title track of the Island Def Jam album -- which will hit stores Tuesday (September 20) -- is No. 17 on the Billboard Adult Top 40 chart and No. 12 on the Heritage Rock chart. And there are plans for IDJ's sister label, Mercury Records Nashville, to promote the song "Who Says You Can't Go Home?" to country radio. The song is a duet with Jennifer Nettles, frontwoman for hot country group Sugarland.

Bon Jovi and bandmates Richie Sambora, David Bryan and Tico Torres taped an episode of "CMT Crossroads" with Sugarland that is airing repeatedly on CMT in September. The album will include versions of the song with and without Nettles, who Bon Jovi calls "an incredible talent."

In part, via the country exposure, Bon Jovi hopes the new CD will find a wide audience but says he does not create music with that goal in mind. "The magic is, we don't gun for anybody," he says. "What happens, happens naturally ... We were as surprised as anyone when 'It's My Life' found a whole other generation of people, really young kids. Who knew?"

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