Barack Obama reveals summer 2024 playlist, book recs: Charli XCX, Shaboozey, more
Just like his fellow Democrat Kamala Harris, Barack Obama is having a "brat summer."
The former president shared the songs he's been rocking out to this summer with his annual summer playlist, which he revealed on Instagram on Monday.
Electropop singer Charli XCX, whose latest album "Brat" spearheaded the "brat summer" trend on social media, made the cut with her song "365." Vice President Harris, who is running in the 2024 presidential election, recently embraced "brat summer" in her campaign online.
Other singers who landed on Obama's playlist include country breakout star Shaboozey ("A Bar Song (Tipsy)"), popstar Billie Eilish ("Chihiro") and hip-hop singer Tommy Richman ("Million Dollar Baby"). Past favorites 2Pac and The Rolling Stones also earned spots.
"With summer winding down, I wanted to share some songs that I’ve been listening to lately – and it wouldn’t be my playlist if it didn’t include an eclectic mix," Obama wrote. "I hope you find something new to listen to!"
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Along with his summer playlist, Obama also shared his favorite books for the season.
Barack Obama's summer 2024 playlist
- “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” by Shaboozey
- “365” by Charli XCX
- “Chihiro” by Billie Eilish
- “Love Me Jeje” by Tems
- “I Like the Way You Kiss Me” by Artemas
- “Million Dollar Baby” by Tommy Richman
- “I Can’t Even Cry” by Hope Tala
- “No Diggity” by Blackstreet ft. Dr. Dre and Queen Pen
- “Charge It” by Enny
- “O Quarto (Soundtrack Version)” by Carminho
- “What’s in the Tea?” by Calimossa
- “I Love the Life I Live, I Live the Life I Love” by Hubert Sumlin and Keith Richards
- “Say So” by PJ Morton ft. JoJo
- “Why Don’t You” by Cleo Sol
- “You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me” by The Miracles
- “Process” by H.E.R.
- “How Do U Want It” by 2Pac ft. K-Ci & JoJo
- “If You Love Somebody Set Them Free” by Sting
- “Unsuffer Me” by Lucinda Williams
- “Golden” by Jill Scott
- “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” by The Rolling Stones
- “My Best” by Saweetie
- “Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting” by Charles Mingus
- “Come Away with Me” by Norah Jones
- “The People” by Common
- “Don’t Cry Baby” by Etta James
- “Bad Boy” by Chris Jedi, Gaby Music & Dei V ft. Anuel AA and Ozuna
- “Yayo” by Rema
- “Old Dutch” by Bonny Light Horseman
- “Symptom of Life” by Willow
- “Whiskey Whiskey” by Moneybagg Yo ft. Morgan Wallen
- “Stargazing” by Myles Smith
- “Wanna Be” by GloRilla & Megan Thee Stallion
- “Jump” by Tyla, Gunna and Skillibeng
- “Perro Negro” by Bad Bunny & Feid
- “Lil Boo Thang” by Paul Russell
- “Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)” by Digable Planets
- “Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)” by Bob Marley & the Wailers
- “One of These Things First” by Nick Drake
- “Silvio” by Bob Dylan
- “Love Is Everywhere” by Pharoah Sanders
- “Where Did Our Love Go” by The Supremes
- “Texas Hold ‘Em” by Beyoncé
- “Someone to Watch Over Me” by Samara Joy ft. Pasquale Grasso
Barack Obama shares 'great books' by Percival Everett, Jonathan Blitzer, more
For his reading selections, Obama highlighted a range of works, from satirical fiction to hard-hitting nonfiction.
Percival Everett’s "James," a reimagining of Mark Twain’s classic "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," led the 14 literary picks. Everett was nominated for the Booker Prize in 2022.
Obama also chose "Everyone Who is Gone Here: The United States, Central America, and the Making of a Crisis" by Jonathan Blitzer, which takes a comprehensive look at the illegal immigration crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border.
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Other titles from the list include “Reading Genesis” by Marilynne Robinson, “The Ministry of Time” by Kaliane Bradley and “Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male is Struggling, Why it Matters, and What to Do About It” by Richard Reeves.
"I’ve read some great books over the last few months and wanted to share some of my favorites," Obama wrote on Instagram. "Let me know if you have any recommendations for books I should check out!
Barack Obama's summer 2024 reading recommendations
- “James” by Percival Everett
- “There’s Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension” by Hanif Abdurraqib
- “Everyone Who is Gone Here: The United States, Central America, and the Making of a Crisis” by Jonathan Blitzer
- “Reading Genesis” by Marilynne Robinson
- “Headshot” by Rita Bullwinkel
- “The God of the Woods” by Liz Moore
- “Beautiful Days” by Zach Williams
- “Martyr!” by Kaveh Akbar
- “Memory Piece” by Lisa Ko
- “The Ministry of Time” by Kaliane Bradley
- “When the Clock Broke: Con Men, Conspiracists, and How America Cracked Up in the Early 1990s” by John Ganz
- “Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male is Struggling, Why it Matters, and What to Do About It” by Richard Reeves
- “The Wide Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook” by Hampton Sides
- “Help Wanted” by Adelle Waldman