Barack Obama reveals 2023 summer playlist
The former president's annual summer playlist includes songs from Drake, Ice Spice, Janet Jackson and John Coltrane.
President Barack Obama has revealed his 2023 summer playlist. The former commander-in-chief posted his annual playlist to his Twitter page on Thursday.
Obama picked 41 songs from various genres and eras. “Like I do every year, here are some songs I’ve been listening to this summer — a mix of old and new. Look forward to hearing what I’ve missed,” Obama posted.
The playlist includes some contemporary hip-hop and R&B. These songs include J. Hus and Drake’s “Who Told You,” SZA’s “Snooze,” Jorja Smith’s “Try Me,” Ice Spice and Nicki Minaj’s “Princess Diana,” Money Man and Babyface Ray’s “Drums,” Kelela’s “Contact,” Janelle Monáe’s “Only Have Eyes 42” and Michael Kiwanuka’s “Love & Hate.”
The list also includes many classic soul songs from legends, like Aretha Franklin’s “Dr. Feelgood (Love is a Serious Business),” Martha Reeves and the Vandellas’ “Nowhere to Run,” Stevie Wonder’s “Golden Lady,” Otis Redding’s “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay,” The Four Tops’ “Reach Out, I’ll Be There,” Ike and Tina Turner’s “River Deep/Mountain High,” and Marvin Gaye’s “Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler).”
Afrobeat artists are also represented on Obama’s playlist. Burna Boy and 21 Savage’s “Sittin’ on Top of the World,” and J’calm’s “Tempted” made the cut. Obama also included some old-school hip-hop, including 2Pac and Dr. Dre’s “California Love” and Nas’ “The World is Yours.”
Other songs represented are Janet Jackson’s “Got ‘Til It’s Gone,” Toots and the Maytals’ “Funky Kingston,” John Coltrane’s “Blue Train,” and Ella Fitzgerald’s “Cry Me a River.”
Obama’s summer playlist coincides with his summer reading list, posted on his Medium page. His reading list includes Jonathan Eig’s Martin Luther King Jr. biography, “King: A Life,” DK Nnuro’s novel “What Napoleon Could Not Do,” Tiffany Clarke Harrison’s novel, “Blue Hour,” and S.A. Cosby’s thriller, “All the Sinners Bleed.”
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