R.I.P. Sonny Rollins, and today would have been Miles Davis’s 100th birthday. Gone, but their music never will be.
In honor of the American Holiday yesterday, when I started to write this HHD, I want to start off with my two favorite Memorial Day anthems. I like these two because they are honest: not syrupy, or chest pounding or “ bleeding red, white and blue. Since HHD is read in Mexico, which has been invaded three times by the US, I am drawn to songs that talk about the positives of the US, not the aggressions . And songs that everyone can love just for the music. The first two HHD songs this week are my picks for Memorial Day.
Color Me America, single by Dolly Parton. What’s not to like? The best country singer in history (my opinion). An inspiring anthem that emphasizes itsproud but non‑vengefultone: Parton sings about love of country “with no hints of bias against outsiders or vengeance over global headlines,” reading as a post‑9/11 comfort song rather than a jingoistic one. Her songwriting is above magnificent. Her delivery is inspiring while it cuts to the bone. It makes you cry with pride, not shout with arrogance. “I stand tall and proud/I want justice for us all.” It is pure Dolly, and it is my song for Memorial Day. Stream everywhere.
American Heart, single by Faith Hill. Music critics have panned this song for being cliched and over-the-top patriotic. I disagree. While the production is a bit heavy-handed, I think it is a song we need now. As the country is fracturing, losing hope, drowning in inflation and hate, she reminds us that an American heart, “It bleeds/It scars/But it shines when times get hard/And you can’t break an American heart.” I think she caught the vibe of 2012, when the song was released as the country was struggling to recover from the Great Recession, and it resonates even more today. She reminds us that most of us work very hard and that we are all the same, from “Small town Friday night lights/ to Broadway neon burning up bright”. I think the critics are afraid of a song that tells hard truths but reminds us that we have been there before and if we remain true to our founding principles, we will survive. That’s not cliché; its truth.
Je tombe single by Täbï Yösha Released in May 2026, Je tombe mixes French and English with sprinkled neo‑soul‑infused R&B melodies. It’s a pop song, but it is more fluid than most pop songs, which makes it very pleasant to listen to. The bilingual lyrics are great – even if you don’t speak French (she is from Quebec), you follow the love and longing in the lyrics. Not outstanding, but she is on her way with this song, especially now that she has been signed to Bonsound. Very nice, very listenable. Stream on major platforms.
Dai Dai, single by Shakira and Burner Boy. If you have not heard it, you will. The official song of the World Cup, Shakira and Burner Bay sing in four languages. But I find it puzzling. It is a polished, global‑pop World Cup anthem that fuses Afrobeats and Latin pop, with strong chemistry between Shakira and Burna Boy. But it is not an anthem for the world’s largest sporting event. While I generally don’t like rah-rah, if there is a place for it, that place is the World Cup. Dai Dai is a great song, I put it on repeat and groove to it while I work, but if I am in a Mexico or Guadalajara stadium with 80,000 screaming fans, this is not the song I would want for half-time. Bring back the “Macarena” or “Waka Waka” Multi-lingual. Stream everywhere.
Quiero saber, single by Estevie. I really like this song. It is perfectlybilingual: the verses are in Spanish, and the chorus uses English. “Quiero Saber” by Estevie is aslow‑burn cumbia‑pop ballad(69 bpm!) that blends traditional cumbia groove with gentle Gen‑Z pop production and a bilingual, emotionally vulnerable vocal line. It is just beautiful, a joy to listen to. Spanish and English. Stream everywhere.
What Am I Supposed To Do, single by Grainne Duffy. Irish blues done down and dirty. This girl knows how to cross the ocean and grab your…gut. The song – actually the whole album of that name – is an intense and rootsy homage to traditional blues and rock, marrying emotional songwriting with groove‑oriented arrangements with a hint of Celtic drumming. Wow. Everything she does makes you bob your head, squeeze your eyes closed, and other parts, and just rock out while her raw voice tells the truth, and her guitar riffs slice you in half. Stream on all major platforms.
Patrick O’Heffernan
Banner: Dolly Parton conducts her symphonic concert,Dolly Parton’s Threads: My Songs in Symphonywith the Nashville Symphony. credit: DollyParton.com