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Barack Obama is weighing in on the songs and books we should all be diving into this summer.
The former president turned cultural tastemaker shared what he’s recently been listening to and reading on Thursday in the annual tradition of sharing his summer lists.
“Check them out and let me know what I should be reading next,” he wrote in his social media post about his recommended books.
Obama’s playlist revealed that the nation’s former commander-in-chief is a fan of rising stars like Ice Spice, Peso Puma and Ayra Starr, whose tracks are listed alongside beloved classics such as 2Pac and Dr. Dre’s “California Love,” The Bangles’ “Walk Like an Egyptian” and Ella Fitzgerald’s “Cry Me A River.”
His recommended literature ranges from thrillers (“All the Sinners Bleed,” “Birnam Wood”) to non-fiction (“Poverty, By America,” “King: A Life,” “The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder”), and the list includes books that might already be familiar to people who keep up with the buzziest books of the year.
Check out: USA TODAY’s weekly Best-selling Booklist
Barack Obama’s 2023 summer reading recommendations
These nine books made the cut for Obama’s recommendations list:
- “Poverty, By America,” by Matthew Desmond
- “Small Mercies,” by Dennis Lehane
- “King: A Life,” by Jonathan Eig
- “Hello Beautiful,” by Ann Napolitano
- “All the Sinners Bleed,” by S.A. Cosby
- “Birnam Wood,” by Eleanor Catton
- “What Napoleon Could Not Do,” by DK Nnuro
- “The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder” by David Grann
- “Blue Hour,” by Tiffany Clarke Harrison
Several of Obama’s recommendations — “Hello Beautiful,” “All the Sinners Bleed,” “The Wager” — also found themselves on Amazon’s best books of the year (so far) list. “King: A Life,” “Small Mercies” and “Poverty, By America” were runners-up.
Earlier this year, Napolitano’s “Hello Beautiful,” which pays homage to Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women,” had the distinction of being the 100th novel to be included in Oprah’s book club.
For your to-read list:10 page-turning thrillers from S. A. Cosby, Jake Tapper and more
Who made Barack Obama’s 2023 summer playlist?
These 41 songs make up Obama’s summer 2023 playlist:
- “Who Told You,” J Hus feat. Drake
- “Snooze,” SZA
- “I’ll Stand By You,” The Pretenders
- “Vampiros,” Rosalía and Rauw Alejandro
- “Fast Car,” Luke Combs
- “California Love,” 2Pac feat. Dr. Dre and Roger Troutman
- “Dance Me To The End Of Love (Live), Leonard Cohen
- “Nowhere To Run,” Martha Reeves and The Vandellas
- “Parabolic!” nobigdyl
- “Try Me,” Jorja Smith
- “Sittin’ On Top Of The World,” Burna Boy feat. 21 Savage
- “Got ‘Til It’s Gone,” Janet Jackson, Joni Mitchell, and Q-Tip
- “Penas con Pan,” La Doña
- “Walk Like An Egyptian,” The Bangles
- “Watching The Credits,” The Beths
- “Ain’t No Harmin’ Me,” The War and Treaty
- “Soul Survivor,” The Rolling Stones
- “Dr. Feelgood (Love Is A Serious Business),” Aretha Franklin
- “Blue Train,” John Coltrane
- “Princess Diana,” Ice Spice and Nicki Minaj
- “Funky Kingston,” Toots and The Maytals
- “Unchained Melody,” The Righteous Brothers
- “Golden Lady,” Stevie Wonder
- “Doctor My Eyes,” Jackson Browne
- “Sability,” Ayra Starr
- “Not Strong Enough,” boygenius
- “(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of the Bay,” Otis Redding
- “Everything Is Broken,” Bob Dylan
- “Cry Me A River,” Ella Fitzgerald
- “La Bebe (Remix),” Yng Lvcas and Peso Pluma
- “Drums,” Money Man and Babyface Ray
- “The World Is Yours,” Nas
- “Reach Out I’ll Be There,” Four Tops
- “Just Breathe,” Pearl Jam
- “Tempted,” J’calm
- “Contact,” Kelela
- “Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler),” Marvin Gaye
- “River Deep – Mountain High,” Ike and Tina Turner
- “Only Have Eyes 42,” Janelle Monáe
- “The Devil I Know,” Ashley McBryde
- “Love & Hate,” Michael Kiwanuka
In response to Obama’s post, SZA wrote in an Instagram Story, “My forever president said hurry up w the video and I heard him.” British singer-songwriter Jorja Smith reposed Obama’s post to her Instagram Stories, acknowledging her inclusion on his playlist without adding additional comment.
This is the second year in a row that Burna Boy, Ayra Starr, Rosalía and SZA received a shoutout from Obama. Meanwhile, artists like Lizzo, Bad Bunny, Harry Styles and Beyoncé missed a spot on the coveted list this year despite getting recognition in recent years.
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