Happy Fathers' Day! 8 Celebs Dedicate Songs To Their Dads

Dads deserve more credit than they usually get. Yes, even the quiet Asian fathers or the stern, sometimes absent ones. It is clear from the many poignant songs written about fathers that the role of a dad is truly a complex one. But who is to say that they have not tried their best?

To the dads who leave a $10 note on the table for our recess break; the ones who fix the faulty light bulbs at home; the fathers who do not say much but quietly show their support; and the father figures whom we look up to, you are enough and thank you.

At KKBOX, we raise a virtual glass to the dads with this playlist of songs that artists have written in dedication to their old men — be warned, it can get emotional. Happy Father’s Day, pops.

#1 J.Y. Park’s <This Small Hand>

Singer-songwriter and record producer J.Y. Park is the JYP behind JYP Entertainment, who manages popular girl group TWICE and artists like Suzy. Yup, he is the boss. The touching ballad that comes with an equally moving music video was released last February after the birth of his daughter. It was also dedicated to his ageing Alzheimer-stricken father. In the lyrics, he tells his child to dream and fly high but promises that he will always be there. “Like the stars in the sky/ Invisible in daylight, but when the night falls/ I will show you the way”. Cue sobs.

#2 Psy’s <Father>

The ‘Gangnam Style’ hitmaker takes a heartfelt turn with this song for his dad. Led mainly by simple acoustic, Psy’s ‘Father’ is unlike his slapstick and energetic style but retains some elements of rap. In the poignant track, he talks about how hard his father works and expresses regret in not understanding the pain his father went through. “I finally understand/ Please don’t be lonely anymore/ Let’s go together.” Interestingly, this 2012 song struck a chord with fans in China and has since become an anthem of sorts for fathers. The Chinese language version was released by Psy in 2015 to massive response, raking over 2 million views on the Chinese online music site QQ.

#3 Eason Chan’s <Bicycle>

Hong Kong singer Eason Chan has a penchant for emotional songs, and ‘Bicycle’ is one of the more melancholic ones. The 2001 Cantonese track sings about the simplicity of a bicycle ride between a father and son but also talks about the complicated emotions behind this relationship. “Is it that hard for your love to show?” the lyrics go. Coincidentally, the song was released during a time when his government official dad was embroiled in a corruption lawsuit he later lost. Eason’s father was sentenced to six years in 2003 but obtained parole in 2008.

#4 Tanya Chua’s <Sing It Out Of Love>

Released in 2011, the moving song was dedicated to her late father who passed away from a long battle with Parkinson’s disease earlier that year. Tanya Chua’s ‘Sing It Out Of Love’ is a thoughtful imagining of how love should be expressed in case of regret: immediate, affectionate and completely honest. While a poignant reminder to cherish your loved ones, Tanya’s self-penned melody has a hopeful ring to it that conveys the transcending power and warmth of love. Beautiful.

#5 Demi Lovato’s <Father>

A powerful and emotionally-charged song that reveals the deep complexities of fatherhood, Demi Lovato’s ‘Father’ exposes the difficult relationship she had with her late father. At interviews, Demi also revealed his battles with addiction and mental illness and his abusive nature that made her feel ‘conflicted’ when he passed away from cancer in 2013. “You did your best, or did you?/ Sometimes I think I hate you/ I’m sorry, dad, for feeling this” the lyrics go, as the backdrop of gospel choir brings its listeners to goosebump-raising moments.

#6 Vivian Hsu’s <Yours Always>

This Hokkien track marks the return of Taiwanese singer-actress Vivian Hsu to the music scene, and what a comeback song this is. ‘Yours Always’ was inspired by a comment that her late father made on her wedding day that a married daughter is ‘someone else’s’. Vivian’s father passed away on New Year’s Day 2018. Get those Kleenexes ready. Listening to this touching song is sure to hit you right in the gut, as will watching the music video, which is a series of tearful farewells between fathers and daughters on their wedding days. Besides Vivian, who shared intimate photos of her 2014 wedding to Singaporean businessman Sean Lee, her good pal Ruby Lin also shared three private images of her 2016 Bali nuptials to Wallace Huo.

#7 Camila Cabello’s <First Man>

First performed at the 2020 Grammy Awards earlier this year, Camila Cabello’s ‘First Man’ from her Romance album was dedicated to her father aka “the first man who really loved” her. There was barely a dry eye in the room when cameras panned to her dad crying his eyes out to Camila’s soulful performance as her childhood photos flashed on the screen. The coming-of-age track is about a father feeling protective over his daughter’s first relationship. Camila has hinted in several interviews that it is about her current beau Shawn Mendes.

#8 Beyonce’s <Daddy Lessons>

While not entirely based on her personal life, Beyonce, who produced and co-wrote this pop-country song, revealed that a large part of this song reflects how she was brought up by her father. From Beyonce’s critically-acclaimed Lemonade album in 2016, ‘Daddy Lessons’ depicts a father ‘toughening’ up his daughter for the dark, difficult and violent world. It is sobering and honest, as Beyonce relates how “daddy made a soldier out of (her)”. ‘Daddy Lessons’ is Queen Bey’s way of paying tribute to her roots and upbringing: the rich trumpet sounds popularly associated with the south, the Texan-inflected ‘yee-haws’ and an adorable Blue Ivy cameo “Good job, Bey” at the end.