Jude is the seventh studio album by English singer-songwriter Julian Lennon, released on 9 September 2022.[1] The album's title is a reference to the Beatles' 1968 song "Hey Jude", written by Paul McCartney for the then five-year-old Julian.[2][3]
The album was announced with the release of the singles "Freedom" and "Every Little Moment" on 8 April 2022, Lennon's 59th birthday.[2] Two additional singles, "Save Me" and "Breathe", were released on 22 June 2022.[1] The single "Lucky Ones" was released on 3 August 2022,[4] and a music video for it was released on 24 October 2022. The video was directed by David Dutton and was created using artificial intelligence models Disco Diffusion and Stable Diffusion.[5][6] The album cover photo of Julian as a child was taken by May Pang in 1974.[3][7]
Critical reception
Jacob Uitti writing for American Songwriter said the singles "Freedom" and "Every Little Moment" that were included on Jude were "poignant", offering "emotional aid in a difficult global time, as much as they give assistance to those experiencing difficult personal times internally."[8]
For Spin, Liza Lentini praised Jude as a moving album that looks back in the name of progress.[3]
Goldmine wrote about the release, "With his new album, the first in 11 years, Julian advances his body of work that has always simultaneously explored personal and global themes, but for the first time in his life, he's embracing his inner status as someone's son...[an] introspective masterwork from a diversely talented artist."[9]