Beyoncé, Burna Boy, Kendrick Lamar make Barack Obama’s summer playlist

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Former U.S. President Barack Obama (44) released his 2022 summer playlist featuring an eclectic group of artists that includes Beyoncé, Burna Boy and Kendrick Lamar.

Obama posted his annual playlist on his Twitter page on Tuesday. “Every year, I get excited to share my summer playlist because I learn about so many new artists from your replies—it’s an example of how music really can bring us all together,” Obama wrote. “Here’s what I’ve been listening to this summer.”

The playlist features 44 songs, ranging from jazz, hip-hop, R&B, pop, soul, country, rock and dance. Beyoncé’s new single, “Break My Soul,” made the list, so did “Die Hard,” a new song from Lamar. The playlist also features Afrobeat artists such as Burna Boy’s “Last Last” and Tems’ “Vibe Out.”

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Numerous hip-hop songs from multiple generations are included on the list, too. Rakim’s “When I Be on the Mic” and Wyclef Jean and Lauryn Hill’s “Guantanamera” represent hip-hop from the ’90s. Meanwhile, many contemporary hip-hop tracks are featured as well, like Vince Staples and Mustard’s “Magic,” Drake and Rihanna’s “Too Good” and Doechii’s “Persuasive.”

Along with acts like Doechii, Obama found space for songs from other 21st century progressive artists, including “Better” by The Foreign Exchange featuring Shana Tucker and Eric Roberson, “Energy” by Sampa the Great and Nadeem Din-Gabisi, as well as “Under Control” by The Internet.

Obama made sure to include legendary R&B, pop, and soul musicians on the list, too. For instance, there is Prince’s “Let’s Go Crazy” to Aretha Franklin’s “Call Me” Otis Redding’s “I’ve Been Loving You” and Al Green’s “I Can’t Get Next to You.”

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In addition to his annual summer playlist, Obama also posted his 2022 summer reading list. Like the playlist, the booklist is also very dynamic. Among the titles are “A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance” by Hanif Abdurraqib and “Black Cake” by Charmaine Wilkerson.

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