Burning Bridges is the thirteenth studio album by American rock band Bon Jovi. The album was released worldwide on August 21, 2015 through Mercury Records. It was produced by John Shanks, and it is the first studio album without former guitarist Richie Sambora, who left the band in 2013 (but receives a co-writing credit on the single «Saturday Night Gave Me Sunday Morning»).
Burning Bridges is the final album released through Mercury, marking the end of a 32-year-old relationship. According to Jon Bon Jovi, the album serves as a «fan record» to tie in with an accompanying international tour: «It’s songs that weren’t finished, that were finished, a couple of new ones like the one we released as a single «We Don’t Run».
Burning Bridges will be followed by This House Is Not For Sale, the band’s fourteenth studio album that will be released in March 2016.
Burning Bridges was conceived to fulfill Bon Jovi’s commitment to Mercury Records, as the band and label could not agree on adjusted terms for the band’s recording contract. «I’ve stayed at that label my entire life — 32 years. I am the longest tenured artist on Mercury, or whatever they are called this week. But my deal was up, and that’s that,» said Jon Bon Jovi in an interview with Billboard. The album’s title track makes explicit reference to Bon Jovi’s dissatisfaction with the label. According to Bon Jovi, «This hits it right in the head and tells you what happened. Listen to the lyrics because it explains exactly what happened. And that’s that.
«Regarding the split, a representative for Mercury Records stated, «Jon is a rock ‘n’ roll icon, and we are so proud of his 30-year collaboration with Mercury, which brought extraordinary commercial and creative success. We wish Jon only the best.»