As always at the end of the year, Barack Obama (61) published his favorite songs. The former US President posted a list of his musical favorites on Twitter. 24 songs made it onto Obama’s unranked playlist.
As is usually the case with Obama’s lists, performers from the fields of hip hop and soul take up a lot of space. Superstar and Obama confidante Beyoncé (41) is represented with “Break My Soul” as well as Lizzo (34) with “About Damn Time”. Both songs are nominated for a Grammy for Best Song. Rap is represented by Kendrick Lamar (35, “The Heart Pt. 5”) and Danger Mouse/Black Thought (“Belize”), among others.
Of course, the most streamed artist of 2022 is not missing from Barack Obama either. Reggaeton star Bad Bunny (28) can look forward to the mention of his song “Titi Me Pregunto”. Here the former US President is in the best of company: “Titi Me Pregunto” topped the annual best lists of “Rolling Stone” and “TIME Magazine”. The fact that Latin pop is hip is also shown by Obama’s recommendation of the Spaniard Rosalia (30), who was celebrated in 2022.
With folk and classic singer-songwriter pop, Barack Obama pays tribute to other American genres. His favorites here are Ethel Cain (24) and Zach Bryan (26).
In general, Obama’s list is heavily focused on the United States. But the ex-potus also thinks outside the box. His list includes artists from Nigeria (Burna Boy, 31), Jamaica (Koffee, 22) and Haiti (Leyla McCalla, 37).
With Harry Styles (28), however, an artist who will be overrepresented in 2022 is missing. With “Music For a Sushi Restaurant” the Brit made it onto Barack Obama’s summer playlist, which is also mandatory.
