Let’s face it, as far as US Presidents go, Barack Obama was undoubtedly the coolest. With a down-to-earth attitude, and a penchant for modern music, he was by far the most relatable President that the world has seen. Now, even though he’s no longer the US head of state, Obama has once again listed his favourite songs from the past year.
Barack Obama had previously dipped his toe into musical waters in the past, having booked out an entire Two Door Cinema Club concert, and appearing on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon to ‘slow jam the news’, but it’s the former President’s lists of favourite songs that we’re really into.
Previous years have seen Obama inform us of his most-loved tunes, while a couple of lists in 2016 saw Courtney Barnett feature very prominently on Barack’s iPod. Now, we’ve been given an insight what soundtracked Obama’s 2017.
“During my presidency, I started a tradition of sharing my reading lists and playlists,” the former President wrote on Sunday. “It was a nice way to reflect on the works that resonated with me and lift up authors and artists from around the world.”
“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.”
Featuring a number of top 40 tracks, including Camila Cabello’s ‘Havana’, Kendrick Lamar’s ‘HUMBLE.’, and Harry Styles’ ‘Sign Of The Times’, Obama also listed a number of more guitar-based tunes, including works by The National, Chris Stapleton, U2, and Portugal. The Man.
Also included in the list was ‘Matter Of Time’, one of the posthumous releases by hugely influential R&B and soul singer Sharon Jones, who passed away at the end of 2016, while an as-yet-unreleased version of Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Born In The USA’ from his Broadway show also made the cut.
Check out the full list of Barack Obama’s favourite songs from the past year below.
Barack Obama’s favourite songs of 2017:
‘Mi Gente’ – J Balvin & Willy William
‘Havana’ – Camila Cabello (feat. Young Thug)
‘Blessed’ – Daniel Caesar
‘The Joke’ – Brandi Carlile
‘First World Problems’ – Chance The Rapper (feat. Daniel Caesar)
‘Rise Up’ – Andra Day
‘Wild Thoughts’ – DJ Khaled (feat. Rihanna & Bryson Tiller)
‘Family Feud’ – Jay-Z (feat. Beyoncé)
‘HUMBLE.’ – Kendrick Lamar
‘La Dame et Ses Valises’ – Les Amazones d’Afrique (feat. Nneka)
‘Unforgettable’ – French Montana (feat. Swae Lee)
‘The System Only Dreams In Total Darkness’ – The National
‘Chanel’ – Frank Ocean
‘Feel It Still’ – Portugal. The Man
‘Butterfly Effect’ – Travis Scott
‘Matter Of Time’ – Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings
‘Little Bit’ – Mavis Staples
‘Millionaire’ – Chris Stapleton
‘Sign Of The Times’ – Harry Styles
‘Broken Clocks’ – SZA
‘Ordinary Love (Extraordinary Mix)’ – U2
*Bonus: Born in the U.S.A. by Bruce Springsteen (not out yet, but the blues version in his Broadway show is the best!)
