Among the artists who have released new music in recent days is Stevie Wonder. This is great news since the author of masterpieces such as ‘Innervisions’ (1973) or ‘Songs in the Key of Life’ (1976) has not released a solo song for four years, in 2020.
In ‘Can We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart’ Wonder sends an inspiring message of peace, veiled patriotism but, above all, unity: «Can we fix our nation’s broken heart? Are we brave enough to try?», sings the artist using his honeyed voice, which continues to sound as expressive as ever.
Wonder doesn’t give “Can We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart” a combative wrapper – quite the opposite. Using light percussion and acoustic guitar, the song is soft and tender. Stevie’s harmonica solo heightens the melancholic, bittersweet sentiment of the lyrics.
The use of the word “nation” in ‘Can We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart’ gives the song a political dimension and the lyrics directly mention social issues such as “poverty” or “homelessness.” In the piece, Wonder calls on people to “come together for a greater purpose.” Wonder has been clear in the press release encouraging people to “vote” this November in the United States, when Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are vying for the presidency.
Wonder supports Harris and recently appeared at a Democratic rally, where he gave a speech appealing to the “pain of history and the promise of tomorrow” before launching into his single ‘Higher Ground’.
