Jo Dee Messina Shares Her Journeys Of Heartache, Hope Over The Last Decade
By Kelly Fisher
June 5, 2026
Jo Dee Messina marked the start of a fresh chapter with Bridges, her first studio project in more than a decade, on Friday (June 5).
Messina said throughout the album-making process, “I started off writing from wisdom and perspective. And then as I got deeper into the writing of the record, I was like, ‘Wait a minute. Let's talk about healing. Let’s instill some hope.’”
Earlier this year, the legendary country artist spoke with iHeartCountry about Bridges, which includes “Some Bridges,” “Don’t Let Them Hide Your Beautiful” and other tracks that arrived before the full record’s release date. She shared that Bridges “runs the gamut,” covering all of the love, life, pain, fight, learning and living over the last 10 years, rather than focusing on one season of life. She worked with powerhouse songwriters and producers — and reunited with mixer Chris Lord Alge, who worked with the country megastar on some of her iconic ‘90s hits like “Heads Carolina, Tails California — throughout the record.
Messina shared stories behind a few of the tracks with iHeartCountry, including the album opener, “Welcome To the Show.” The cleverly-written song, written solely by Messina, is a metaphor-packed anthem that’s “about meeting the new interest of a narcissistic ex. …And I wanted to use ‘flying monkeys’ in a song. If you don’t know what a flying monkey is, you gotta look it up, and yeah, people think from The Wizard of Oz, but those are the ones that believe the lies and fight the battles. …So, I just had fun with that one.” Messina also spotlighted “Let Me Love You” as a “precious” song inspired by her relationship with her sons, and “Days You Don’t Get Back,” about making the most of special moments rater than “rushing through life.”
- “Welcome To the Show” (Jo Dee Messina)
- “Some Bridges” (Jo Dee Messina, Kat Higgins, James T. Slater)
- “Days You Don’t Get Back” (Jo Dee Messina, Tyler Hubbard, Jon Nite, Ross Copperman)
- “Where the Cowboys Ride” (Jo Dee Messina, David Spencer, Emily Falvey)
- “Can Anybody” (Jo Dee Messina, Ethan Hulse)
- “Don’t Let Them Hide Your Beautiful” (Jo Dee Messina, Blessing Offor, David Spencer)
- “Message In a Bottle” (Jo Dee Messina, Ethan Hulse, David Spencer)
- “The Jesus I Know” (Brennley Brown, Jonathan Gamble, Nick Schwarz)
- “It’s All About You” (Jo Dee Messina, Ethan Hulse)
- “Let Me Love You” (Jo Dee Messina, Jonathan Smith, Tim Nichols)
- “If He Knew Jesus” (Jo Dee Messina, Mark Trussell, David Spencer)
“Over the past decade, Messina — like all of us — has encountered road bumps both minor and heartbreaking: loss, struggle, and sicknesses that might have wrecked someone without glimmers of light to hold onto. Her music. Her children. Her faith. And all of it is woven throughout Bridges, states a press release issued earlier this week. “Written almost entirely by Messina herself, Bridges stands as her most authentic and personal work to date, a deeply reflective journey through heartbreak and healing, faith and perseverance, challenges and growth, and the unwavering resilience that has defined her over the past decade.”
“When they [fans] listen to the album, I hope they feel seen, first of all, and not alone in this life because everybody hurts and everybody celebrates,” Messina said. “(There are) tons of topics on the record. I hope they feel hopeful and seen and understood. …I’m entering into the phase with extreme gratitude. (I’m) just excited. It’s like, ‘oh my gosh, I get to do this. This is great.’”
Find the full Bridges album on iHeartRadio. See Messina’s upcoming tour stops blow.
Jo Dee Messina On Tour:
06/05/2026 - Nissan Stadium - CMA Fest - Nashville, TN
06/11/2026 - The Bluestone - Columbus, OH +
06/12/2026 - Carteret Performing Arts & Events Center - Carteret, NJ
06/13/2026 - Bowl In The Pines - Sidney, ME
06/18/2026 - American Music Theatre - Lancaster, PA +
06/19/2026 - Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom - Hampton Beach, NH +
06/20/2026 - Foxwoods Resort Casino - Mashantucket, CT
07/10/2026 - Hodag Country Festival - Rhinelander, WI *
07/17/2026 - Saddle Up for St. Jude - Tuscumbia, AL
07/23/2026 - Canyon County Fair: Bi-Mart Concert Series - Caldwell, ID *
07/24/2026 - Mountain America Center - Idaho Falls, ID +
07/25/2026 - Cheyenne Frontier Days - Cheyenne, WY *
07/31/2026 - The Haute Spot - Leander, TX
08/01/2026 - Billy Bob's Texas - Fort Worth, TX
08/06/2026 - Streator Fest - Streator, IL *
08/07/2026 - Effingham County Fair - Altamont, IL *
08/14/2026 - Batavia Downs - Batavia, NY +
08/15/2026 - Warner Vineyards - Paw Paw, MI
08/22/2026 - Tier 10 Music & Sports Park - Spencer, IN *
08/27/2026 - Central States Fair - Rapid City, SD *
08/29/2026 - Cali Country Cruise 2026 - Long Beach, CA ^
09/04/2026 - Columbia Bank Concert Series at the Oregon State Fair - Salem, OR *
09/05/2026 - Lake County Round-Up - Lakeview, OR *
09/06/2026 - Twin Falls County Fair - Filer, ID *
09/11/26 - Heart of Country Festival - Independence, KY *
09/13/2026 - Kansas State Fair - Hutchinson, KS *
09/16/2025 - SEMO District Fair - Cape Girardeau, MO *
09/19/2026 - Boots in the Park - Fresno, CA *
09/25/2026 - Shooting Star Casino & Lodge - Mahnomen, MN
09/26/2026 - Mayo Clinic Health Center Event - Mankato, MN
09/27/2026 - Washington Pavillion - Sioux Falls, SD
10/10/2026 - GreyStone Amphitheater - Douglasville, GA
10/23/2026 - Genesee Theatre - Waukegan, IL
11/06/2026 - The Truth - Nashville, TN
01/16/2027 - Renaissance Theatre - Mansfield, OH
03/06/2027 - Crystal Grand Music Theatre - Wisconsin Dells, WI
+ The Bennett Hall Band supporting
* Fair/Festival
^ Dock performance only