Bon Jovi is raising a toast to the New Year a week early with the premiere of the video for “New Years Day,” exclusively on Billboard.
The song — inspired by Sting’s Broadway musical The Last Ship — is “not about a date on the calendar,” but about new beginnings, Jon Bon Jovi said at a live listening party at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, New Jersey.
“New Year’s Day,” lifted from the group’s album This House is Not For Sale, represents renewal with lyrics that vow to seize the day as he sings “let’s toast to new beginnings.”
The video — featuring keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, guitarist Phil X, and bassist Hugh McDonald — is directed by Alex Howard, and focuses on seamen setting sail on a ship across the ocean on the Susan Miller. The clip — which cuts to the band performing on a dock — is stunning visually, with one shot of the ship seemingly ready to sail off the edge of the earth and a final shot of the boat in a bottle.
Originally envisioned as a 6/8 waltz tempo, the song took shape in the studio as Torres counted it in and the band played it together, Bon Jovi said in a release.
“It was beautiful to see the band participate in such a way,” he said. “This was one that came to life as a band.”
This House is Not For Sale is currently available on iTunes. The group also released the live album-Live at the London Palladium, featuring live commentary from the band’s show in October. A special bundle package–including a tour poster and T-Shirt–is availablie at Bonjovi.com. The This House is Not For Sale tour kicks off Feb. 8 in Greenville, South Carolina.
Watch “New Years Day” below or here via Tidal:
