Barack Obama shares his summer playlist for 2024
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Although the sun might be out in full force, the hot months are gradually winding down, and Barack Obama has provided his annual summer playlist for 2024. As is customary, it’s a collection that picks from across the musical timeline to get us moving as we soak up every last bit of Vitamin D.
Politics and good music aren’t two things that historically go together. Famously, former British Prime Minister David Cameron, an Etonite and Oxford graduate, was swiftly rebuked by The Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr after he picked ‘This Charming Man’ on Desert Island Discs. Once again, this placed the Mancunian band as antithetical to the establishment.
This unlikely spat is only the tip of the iceberg. Another notable instance outlining the discrepancy between both domains was John Fogerty decrying Donald Trump repeatedly using ‘Fortunate Son’ on his 2020 campaign trail.
He even claimed the classic Creedence Clearwater Revival track was written about people like the 45th President of the United States.
Yet, throughout his time in the limelight, Trump’s predecessor, Obama, has constantly shown that he has a better taste in music than most career politicians.
In late 2023, he confirmed this once again by sharing his favourite tracks of the year, which featured cuts from Boygenius, Big Thief, Mitski and Rosalía.
Now, he’s followed that collection up with his summer playlist for 2024. On August 12th, Obama took to X to share his collection, writing: “With summer winding down, I wanted to share some songs that I’ve been listening to lately – and it wouldn’t be my playlist if it didn’t include an eclectic mix. I hope you find something new to listen to!”
Barack’s ‘Brat Summer’
Obama’s summer 2024 playlist is a truly broad-ranging affair. It features one of the most popular songs of the year in Charli XCX’s ‘365’, inferring that the former President has been revelling in ‘Brat Summer’ alongside many music lovers and Twin Peaksstar Kyle MacLachlan. The hit new record from the British hyperpop pioneer even has the potential to make a significant dent in the upcoming US election.
Elsewhere, Obama chose Beyoncé’s ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’ from her 2024 country-pop album Cowboy Carter, Willow’s ‘Symptom of Life’ from this year’s Empathogen and ‘Chihiro’ from Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft.
It’s not just this year’s pop that has impacted Obama, either, with him choosing an array of other older songs. These include the classic ‘No Diggity’ by Blackstreet featuring Dr Dre and Queen Pen, Norah Jones’ ‘Come Away with Me’ and ‘Where Did Our Love Go’ by soul icons The Supremes.
Perhaps, the most surprising inclusion is ‘One of These Things First’ by the late British singer-songwriter Nick Drake, a man known for his profoundly maudlin sound, with it hard to imagine the former President enjoying a quiet moment of solace listening to him, but Obama is a man of many different hats.
Barack Obama’s 2024 summer playlist:
- Shaboozey – ‘A Bar Song (Tipsy)’
- Charli XCX – ‘365’
- Billie Eilish – ‘Chihiro’
- Tems – ‘Love Me Jeje’
- Artemas – ‘I Like the Way You Kiss Me’
- Tommy Richman – ‘Million Dollar Baby’
- Hope Tala – ‘I Can’t Even Cry’
- Blackstreet ft. Dr. Dre and Queen Pen – ‘No Diggity’
- ENNY – ‘Charge It’
- Carminho – ‘O Quarto (Soundtrack Version)’
- Calimossa – ‘What’s in the Tea?’
- Hubert Sumlin and Keith Richards – ‘I Love the Life I Live, I Live the Life I Love’
- PJ Morton ft. JoJo – ‘Say So’
- Cleo Sol – ‘Why Don’t You’
- The Miracles – ‘You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me’
- H.E.R. – ‘Process’
- Tupac ft. K-Ci & JoJo – ‘How Do U Want It’
- Sting – ‘If You Love Somebody Set Them Free’
- Lucinda Williams – ‘Unsuffer Me’
- Jill Scott – ‘Golden’
- The Rolling Stones – ‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction’
- Saweetie – ‘My Best’
- Charles Mingus – ‘Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting’
- Norah Jones – ‘Come Away With Me’
- Common – ‘The People’
- Etta James – ‘Don’t Cry Baby’
- Chris Jedi, Gaby Music & Dei V ft. Anuel AA and Ozuna – ‘Bad Boy’
- Rema – ‘Yayo’
- Bonny Light Horseman – ‘Old Dutch’
- Willow – ‘Symptom of Life’
- Moneybgg Yo ft. Morgan Wallen – ‘Whiskey Whiskey’
- Myles Smith – ‘Stargazing’
- GloRilla & Megan Thee Stallion – ‘Wanna Be’
- Tyla, Gunna and Skillibeng – ‘Jump’
- Bad Bunny & Feid – ‘Perro Negro’
- Paul Russell – ‘Lil Boo Thang’
- Digable Planets – ‘Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)’
- Bob Marley & the Wailers – ‘Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)’
- Nick Drake – ‘One of These Things First’
- Bob Dylan – ‘Silvio’
- Pharoah Sanders – ‘Love Is Everywhere’
- The Supremes – ‘Where Did Our Love Go’
- Beyoncé – ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’
- Samara Joy ft. Pasquale Grasso – ‘Someone to Watch Over Me’
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