In the five years since former President Barack Obama left The White House, he has stayed busy fulfilling various diplomatic tasks, authoring books, and sharing his deep knowledge and love of music by curating Spotify playlists. On Saturday (July 10), he shared his anticipated selection of songs for a post-vaccine summer.
Videos by American Songwriter
“With so many folks getting together with family and friends, there’s a lot to celebrate this summer,” Obama said in an Instagram post. “I put together a playlist of some of the songs I’ve been listening to lately — it’s a mix of old and new, household names and emerging artists, and a whole lot in between,” he said.
From Jay-Z’s 2003 track, “Allure,” to Brandi Carlile’s recent release, “Speak Your Mind”—from the Netflix Series We the People— Obama established a broad spectrum of musical influence to timestamp a summer to remember and be enjoyed.
For the oldies, the former president included classics like George Harrison’s “My Sweet Lord,” Joni Mitchell’s “Coyote,” and Bob Dylan’s “I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight.” Obama proved himself hip by featuring emerging icons like Grammy Award-winning R&B-rock phenom H.E.R.’s song “Find A Way” ft. Lil Baby. He included another Lil Baby featured tune, Drake’s new hit, “Wants and Needs.”
Last December, the former president also shared his Favorite Music of 2020 list—featuring picks from Bad Bunny, Dua Lipa, and Megan Thee Stallion. In November 2020, in tandem with the release of his autobiography, The Promised Land, Obama composed a collection of songs that inspired him throughout his presidency.
Listen to Obama’s summer playlist on Spotify, below.
