(August 31, 2024) He is undoubtedly on the Mount Rushmore of great musical artists of the 20th century, and it is still an event on every rare occasion that he issues new music. Stevie Wonder has been part of our lives for more than six decades, and his intelligent, perceptive, and musically advanced music is sorely missed on radio in 2024.
So, it is particularly notable that Stevie has returned this week with new music that gives his stark – yet ultimately hopeful – take on the well documented problems current facing the United States. Co-written with Mauli Bonner, “Can We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart” is a heartfelt detailing of those challenges – many of which could have been identified at any time in the past century – but also bears a simple, Stevie-esque solution:
We’ve been floating alone in a dark and bitter cold
‘Cause there’s a growing ocean of lies that we’ve been told
To tear us down
But what I’ve found
Is with our truth, compassion and love
We can fix our nation’s broken heart
The simple guitar, drum and piano arrangement stays in the background and lets the Master Vocalist do his thing, sounding in tone and theme like something that would have fit on his A Time to Love album 20 years ago.
Amidst the high-volume, angry shouting that surrounds us each day on our multitude of screens, this simple message of love is exceptionally comforting. Welcome back, Stevie.
By Chris Rizik
