UPFRONT/LISTEN
Sing an American Tune
Musicians offer ideas for your Fourth of July playlist
John Oates, 75
“This Land Is Your Land” by Woody Guthrie
“He was able to capture the spirit of the country, especially during the 1930s and ’40s.”
Oates has released new singles, including “Why Can’t We Live Together.”
Belinda Carlisle, 64
“American Girl” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
“Since 1994, I’ve lived in eight countries. You can take the girl out of America, but you can’t take America out of the girl. So this song resonates with me.”
The Go-Go’s singer’s new solo EP is Kismet.
Angélique Kidjo, 62
“Living in America” by James Brown
“Its beat, its energy is the feeling I got the first time I came to the U.S.”
Afropop singer Kidjo was awarded the 2023 Polar Music Prize. —Craig Rosen