Some habits are hard to let go. During his presidency, Barack Obama had a habit of sharing his favorite songs of the year. Although he isn’t a president anymore, Obama still wanted to let people know which tunes made their way onto his playlist.
“During my presidency, I started a tradition of sharing my reading lists and playlists. It was a nice way to reflect on the works that resonated with me and lift up authors and artists from around the world,” wrote the former U.S. President on his Facebook profile. “With some extra time on my hands this year to catch up, I wanted to share the books and music that I enjoyed most. From songs that got me moving to stories that inspired me, here’s my 2017 list — I hope you enjoy it and have a happy and healthy New Year.”
If you pick apart the list, you’ll see that Obama enjoys a wide range of music genres. There are some rap and hip-hop from the artists like Jay-Z and Kendrick Lamar, rock&roll from Bruce Springsteen and U2, and surpassingly few mainstream hits like “Mi Gente“ from J Balvin & Willy William. You can take a glance at the full list below and see do you have a presidential taste in music.
Mi Gente by J Balvin & Willy William
Havana by Camila Cabello (feat. Young Thug)
Blessed by Daniel Caesar
The Joke by Brandi Carlile
First World Problems by Chance The Rapper (feat. Daniel Caesar)
Rise Up by Andra Day
Wild Thoughts by DJ Khaled (feat. Rihanna and Bryson Tiller)
Family Feud by Jay-Z (feat. Beyoncé)
Humble by Kendrick Lamar
La Dame et Ses Valises by Les Amazones d’Afrique (feat. Nneka)
Unforgettable by French Montana (feat. Swae Lee)
The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness by The National
Chanel by Frank Ocean
Feel It Still by Portugal. The Man
Butterfly Effect by Travis Scott
Matter of Time by Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings
Little Bit by Mavis Staples
Millionaire by Chris Stapleton
Sign of the Times by Harry Styles
Broken Clocks by SZA
Ordinary Love (Extraordinary Mix) by U2
*Bonus: Born in the U.S.A. by Bruce Springsteen (blues version)
For those also wondering what Barack Obama reads in his spare time, he listed “The Power” by Naomi Alderman, “Exit West” by Mohsin Hamid, “Dying: A Memoir” by Cory Taylor and “Sing, Unburied, Sing” by Jesmyn Ward as some of his favorite books for the past year.
